The Eye Of The Storm
by Wolfishly
Summary: AU story. Medicine isn't easy. Clara, however, has always had a constant influence regarding it - The Doctor, world proclaimed medical genius. So when her fiance befriends him, it's only normal that she would as well. What she didn't expect were the circumstances their friendship would blossom under. 11xClara 12xClara
1. Sky Man

**A/N: Hello, everyone! Nice to meet you all *fidget fidget*. This is my first story for Doctor Who, so please don't be** ** _too_** **hard on me. I've been reading a lot of AUs of the 12th Doctor and Clara and I couldn't help but want to write one as well. I can't say whether this is going to be a short story or a long one at the moment. I just hope I stick with it and finish it properly. I hope you like it. I'm always open to suggestions and constructive criticism. So reviews are always appreciated. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _The first time she met him, she was six and he was lost._

* * *

Clara was on her way back to the classroom from the bathroom when a man tapped her shoulder lightly.

"Hello!" He said. His smile was wide and it looked like her daddy's whenever mommy came home from a long day at work, even if he sounded completely different. Clara thought he must have the funniest voice she has ever heard. It reminded her of the happiness her house brought and in her open, childish mind, he could never be a bad person. No matter how many times her parents told her to never talk to strangers.

"Hi ,Mister!" Clara gleefully greeted back. She had a toothy smile that covered half her chubby, pink face.

"I like your tooth gap! Did you get to see the tooth fairy when it came? I was never able to catch her." At that comment she mechanically brought her hand up to her face and she pressed her finger to her cheek in thought.

"No, but I still got some money. I bought mommy the ingredients for her special soufflé."

"That's nice! I'm sure it was a delicious soufflé."

The man's smile never faltered and that made Clara's cheek get pink with pleasure. She liked when people smiled. That meant they were happy and happy were her favourite kind of people. She remembered of the time when she gave her last chocolate cookie to Rory so he would stop crying. Amy had been mean to him and pushed him to the ground. Clara's cookie was what turned Rory's frown into a smile and Clara knew then that she wanted to always make people happy.

"It was the best one!"

"Do you know where we can find the headmaster's office?" Noticing all of those people at once and seeing how they all looked at her over his shoulder made Clara turn from bubbly to bashful.

"It's down that hall and then on the right. It's the only red door." She then pointed towards the hall behind them.

"Thank you, you've been a great help to us."

"You're welcome." She started saying, but then started up again right as they were turning to leave. "Why are you going there, Mister? Are you in trouble? I was there only once and it was because I told Amy she was a meany face and that she was the silly one for still having an imaginary friend at six." It was obvious by the way she shuffled her feet that she wasn't proud of her actions. "Did you call someone a meany face too?"

He looked taken aback at first but then recovered quickly and his smile was back in its place, although it looked just a little bit more reserved than before. Clara felt like she really liked this person. He kneeled in front of her so they could be at eye level and gently gently grabbed her hands.

"Now, why would a sweet little girl such as yourself do that?" He looked genuinely confused by her actions and she felt then more embarrassed than she had when she got scolded by her mom and headmaster.

"Doctor." She heard a voice behind him say. "We're already late as it is."

"Yes, yes. I'll be just a minute." He said turning back to them. When he looked back at Clara he winked playfully "Come on, go on. I want to hear the story." Clara pondered it for a minute and then continued talking.

"Because Amy really _was_ being a meany face. Rory was playing house with me and she came out of nowhere and told him he's childish and silly for doing it and then pushed him down. He started crying and I didn't want her to be mean to my friend." She looked up and seeing that he was still listening, continued "So I gave Rory my last chocolate cookie and then told Amy that she was a meany face and silly for still having an imaginary friend at six so she had no reason to tell Rory that."

The man's face fell for a second and Clara could feel herself frowning. She felt compelled to justify her actions right away. "I know it was wrong but Amy always, always bullies Rory and he never says anything because he is my best friend and he's sweet and doesn't like fighting! I only did it because he won't so I have to protect him!"

"Doctor, that minute has been up for a while." This time the man – the Doctor? – ignored them and adressed himself directly at Clara.

"That was very nice of you to do, protecting Rory." He smiled. "But fighting back with mean words and violence is never the answer. Next time go find a teacher and tell them, okay? So that you don't get sent to the headmaster's office again, promise?" Clara noticed for the first time that the man had the bluest eyes she has ever seen. She thought that not even the sky is as blue as they are.

"Alright." She said as a matter of fact and with a straight face. He ruffled her hair and got up.

"Alright, then. Thank you for your help, little lady. Don't forget what you promised!"

She watched them walk away in the direction she pointed them to. Was that really the way to the office? She couldn't remember. But she was sure it was red so they couldn't miss it. She stood in place for a while longer watching the strange looking men ahead of her. If her mommy ever found out she talked to strange looking men she would be so mad. Clara didn't want to think about it and started running in the opposite direction, to her classroom.

* * *

"Clara Oswald! For goodness sake where _were_ you? You've been gone for almost twenty minutes." Mrs. Noble preached. Clara couldn't help but think that at that moment Mrs. Noble's hair matched her face's colour. She fought really hard to suppress a laugh but she didn't quite manage it. "Oh, you think it's funny, now? Worrying me to death?"

"No, Mrs. Noble." Clara replied ducking her head to look at her shoes. "I'm sorry."

Donna Noble hated her job sometimes. Not that she didn't like the children or anything, they could be absolute dears sometimes and sometimes those times were enough to make it up for all the worry. _Sometimes_. She sighed and looked at the girl hopelessly. If there was a student that could be both the sweetest and the most worrisome, it was Clara Oswald. That girl could be sitting at the table being an angel and then the next thing you know she's off wandering around.

"It's fine. Just don't do it again, okay? If you need a longer bathroom break, just let me know so I don't start imagining bad things."

"But that's not why I was late, Mrs. Noble."

"No? Then explain." She was crossing her arms now and she squinted her eyes. Clara knew she was really mad now.

"A man asked me for directions and I helped him and his friends out." Donna's face suddenly filled with a mixture of emotions Clara couldn't make out. Except for anger, that is.

"Clara! You stopped and talked with strangers? God, that is not safe, child. If your mom ever heard this she'd have my head. But I guess it wasn't your fault. _Entirely_." She added that last part quickly when she saw that Clara's face indicated that she believed she was out of trouble. "I really need to talk to the caretakers about the security around here. I _told_ the headmaster that he really shouldn't have gotten rid of the security people." She was rambling now, more for herself than for Clara. For a moment it seemed as if she had forgotten the girl's presence in the room.

"Did you catch his name? Clara?"

"Oh! Oh, no I didn't. His friends called him "Doctor". Does that help?"

"Doctor? Are you sure you heard it rig-" But then she remembered what day it was and cursed under her breath.

"Mrs. Noble said a bad word!" Clara yelled loudly and her little colleagues started giggling in their seats.

"No, no, children. I did not. Clara, that wasn't..."

"Wasn't what, Mrs. Noble?"

Donna was at a loss of words. Today wasn't turning out to be the nice day at work she had hoped. How could she even forget what day was today? If the headmaster found out she forgot, she was sure he'd threaten to fire her. That damn, stupid old man. So caught up in building the prestige of his school that he turns into a downright asshole. She rubbed her temples.

"Nothing, Clara. Come on, go to your seat." As she hurried to her seat, Donna took her place in front of her desk and leaned on it, crossing her arms.

"Now, who remembers what I mentioned last week before the weekend?" She asked, looking around the room. Unsurprisingly, it was Clara who had raised her hand.

"Me, me! I know, Mrs. Noble! Can I say it?"

"Clara, I told you. Just put your hand up in the air and I'll pick you. Don't yell like that, It's not polite."

"You're right. I'm sorry Mrs. Noble." And just like that she shut her little mouth in a thin line and furrowed her brows in concentration, as if being chosen was vital. She never even noticed that she was the only one with her arms raised.

"Alright...Clara?"

"You said that some very special people are coming to talk to us next Monday!"

"That's right. Anything else?"

"You also said that they were coming to talk to us about what they do, to answer any questions we have and to talk to us about what we want to be when we grow up."

"Do you remember what they do? No? Anyone?" But no one raised their hands this time.

"Okay, then. The men are very important people that have come all the way from London. They are very important doctors, researchers and astronomers. They're doing a project in which they visit as many schools as possible to talk about anything and everything with wonderful children, just like yourselves."

"But why our school, Mrs. Noble?"

"Because we're the best primary school in Blackpool, Amy."

"Does it mean he'll only talk to us because people say we're smarter than other kids?" Another one asked.

Donna usually found herself surprised every day by the things the children end up saying. "What? No, Mickey. That's definitely not it. He's going to visit us first because the headmaster contacted him first, but then he's going to go to other schools in Blackpool that replied to his offer."

"Oh, okay. That makes sense."

"Of course it does. This is all going to happen next period." At that moment she was bombarded with a ton of questions and had to shush her pupils before they got too loud. "Everyone! There's still classes going on. Settle down."

But Clara couldn't settle down. She had her little hands tightly held together in her lap, her back straight with excitement. _Does that mean I'm going to see the sky man again? Oh, I hope I am!_ She thought. She had always looked forward to her classes, but this time it was even more special. The entire break she was looking expectantly at the door as if they might come early. She even ignored Rory when he asked if she wants his sandwich.

"Clara? Clara, you don't want my sandwich? Are you okay?"

"Yes, Rory. I'm not hungry. You can share it with Amy." She said as a matter of fact.

"A-Amy? Why would you say that, Clara? You know A-Amy doesn't like me." Rory stuttered and looked completely terrified of his friend's advice. Clara finally turned to him and she patted Rory's shoulder.

"It's okay, Rory." Her voice was soothing but still just a tiny bit distracted. "If she does anything to you, I promise I'll protect you. I told you that, no?"

"But I don't want you to be sent to the office again...Only bad children go there and you're a good girl, Clara."

"Don't worry, Rory. I promised I wouldn't do that anymore. I'll just tell Mrs. Noble if she does anything."

"Alright...so you still don't want to share my lunch? Mommy made extra for you. It's your favourite." He asked one more time, just for good measure. "I can go ask Amy if she wants to join us."

Clara nodded and Rory got up from the chair and went slowly towards Amy who was colouring a drawing in a book. The walk seemed painful for the boy and Clara watched him stutter and panic. Amy didn't say anything, just got up and walked towards Clara and Rory's desk, dragging her little chair with her. They managed to eat the sandwiches and the rest of their lunches together without much conflict. When Mrs. Noble announced that the break will be over in a few minutes, Clara started cleaning up extremely fast, her little heart beating out of her chest. _This is it. I'm going to see the sky man again._

To her great dismay, the man that came through the door looked nothing like her new favourite person. His eyes were brown instead of blue and Clara could feel her eyes getting hot. The man greeted the children and they greeted back, all except for her. Donna didn't let that go unnoticed.

"Clara? Aren't you going to say hello? It's not polite to not greet back."

"But he's not the sky man. I thought he was going to come to talk to us." Her voice was higher than usual and she was trying really hard not to let her disappointment show too much. Donna was obviously confused.

"The sky man? Who is that, Clara? I told you who's coming today."

"I know, Mrs. Noble. But I met him on the hallway last class, remember?"

This time it was the man's turn to look at Clara more attentively. "You're the little girl that the Doctor asked directions from earlier. Hello, are you talking about him?"

"Yes, the one with blue eyes and funny voice." She was surprised to see that the man chuckled at her reply.

"The Doctor will be talking to another class, Clara. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I promise I'll try my best to answer all of your questions and listen to you very, very closely." The man talked nicely and with a big smile but she wasn't satisfied. Clara wanted to shout in his face that she wanted her sky man but decided against it because it was not polite.

"Okay..." She settled on. She could hear Mrs. Noble sigh in relief and she started talking again.

"If that's all anyone has to say, let's get started, okay? First of all, he's going to talk a bit about what he does with you, so pay close attention. You can ask questions after that." The man and Donna waited until the class had settled down. It was him that started talking this time.

"My full name is David Tennant, everyone. I am an astronomer. Does anyone know what that is? No? Weeeelll, an astronomer is an expert in astronomy. Astronomy is the science that studies the sun, moon, stars, planets, comets, gas, galaxies, dust and other non-Earthly bodies and phenomena. Basically, everything that is not on Planet Earth is what astronomers research." He might not have been the person she was dying to meet again, but Clara thought that he was very impressive on his own. She liked how happy he seemed when he talked about the planets and the outer space. It seemed to her that he loved what he was doing.

"There are many types of astronomers." He continued. "There are observational astronomers, theoretical astronomers, planetary astronomers, galactic astronomers and cosmologists."

A girl with blonde pigtails raised her hand. "Which one are you, mister?"

"Excellent question! What's your name, sweetheart?"

"I'm Rose Tyler."

"Nice to meet you, Rose Tyler! I'm a cosmologist."

"And what do you do?" She pressed on, very attentive to his words.

"Weeelll, usually – not all the time-, astronomers deal with the fixed, concrete and observable things in the Universe. Cosmologists go beyond that! We study the Universe in its entirety. From its beginning and to its end. We also love coming up with theories for the invisible things that happen out there."

"Can you tell us one?" Rose asked, all smiles and pink cheeks. Mr. Tennant seemed thrilled by her enthusiasm.

"Of course I can! How about I tell you about the theory of how the Universe came to be? It's called the Big Bang Theory. Cool, right?" Everyone nodded and he proceeded. "The first person that came with this theory was-" But he was cut short by a knock on the door. Everyone turned to it curiously.

"David, there you are! I need your help. Sorry for interrupting. Hello, everyone!"

Clara's heart rose from her chest and she couldn't believe he was there. She thought she'd never see him again.

"Doctor, what is it? It's unlike you to just come in like that. What about your class?" Mr. Tennant was now giving the Doctor his full attention, slightly irritated that he was being interrupted.

"Well, that's what I needed to talk to you about." Clara watched the two men talk but she couldn't register anything they were saying. She kept her mouth shut until she couldn't anymore.

"Sky man!" she yelled excitedly, rising from her seat and looking at him expectantly.

"Oh, you're the little lady from earlier! Hello and thank you for your help again."

"My name's Clara Oswald. Did you find your way to the office?" She asked nervously.

"Pleased to meet you, Clara. I'm the Doctor! Yes, we did. We couldn't have done it without your directions." He gave her another smile and Clara felt as if she had accomplished a very, very big thing. She was happy that she got sent to the headmaster now.

"You're welcome!" she said, bashfully but with a loud voice. After she pondered on it for a second, she decided to ask him something. "Why are you called 'the Doctor'? Don't you have a name?"

"Well, Clara Oswald, 'the Doctor' actually _is_ my name."

"So you're a doctor?"

"Yes, yes I am."

"That's so cool. I like it!"

"That makes two of us, Clara. But never forget that your name is a very important part of yourself." He said seriously. Clara felt the need to ask.

"Is my name important?"

"Clara Oswald, I have never met someone who isn't important."


	2. Chin Boy

**The second time she saw him, she didn't pay him any heed.**

* * *

Clara Oswald always thought that her own life was a miracle. It left her in awe how one simple leaf could turn out into a human being years later. Without realising, she started looking for a leaf of her own and soon had acquired tens of books which were filled with dry leaves of all sizes and colours. It became her private ritual: every leaf she'd deem as special would be carefully hidden between the pages of all the books she's read. That's how her room turned from pink to brown, black and smelled of worn book pages. Many a day she'd wake up on top of a book with a leaf stuck to her face. Today was one of those days.

"Clara!" her mother had called out. But of course no sound came from her room. Ellie wondered why she kept doing that when she knew her daughter most probably had her headphones on. She thought about calling out again but decided against it and made her way upstairs.

Peeking through the door she could see Clara's small frame, hunched over her desk with – of course – her headphones over her ears. Steadying herself on the doorframe she allowed herself to check out the room. Books stacked and scattered everywhere along with pencils, pens and clothes thrown carelessly here and there. Ellie hadn't been in her teenager's room for a while now. Clara had asked her mother to give her the key to the door a few months prior. It never occurred to her that Clara wouldn't keep it clean. She had always been such an organised young lady. When did the time go by?

She started making the bed and gathered all of the clothes, throwing the dirty ones in the hamper and folding the other ones neatly inside the wardrobe. All the pens and pencils were put back in their place and the shoes under the bed. What was left were the books which didn't have a placement pattern or even a place of their own. And even if they had, Ellie doubted that she'd ever touch them from where Clara had put them. She rather liked how they were in just about every corner and she beamed at the fact that most of them were travelling journals, books about the wonders of the world and adventure stories. However, if she had thought to throw a look at the ones under the bed, she would've noticed there was a growing collection of astronomy and medical books.

Only after she was done cleaning up had she noticed just how loud the music from the headphones was. The sound was booming even all the way to the window with a tune unrecognizable to Ellie. It was about time Clara was woken up from her power nap.

"Clara" she had said, slowly dragging the headphones off. The teen turned her head the other way and grunted sleepily. "Clara, baby. It's almost four p.m."

"I told you to not call me a baby anymore…" The small figure grunted again.

"I wasn't calling you a baby. I was calling you _my_ baby. Anywho, you need to wake up. Your friends will be here soon."

"Now that you mention it, I do vaguely remember Amy and Rose giving me a splitting headache about which film to see at the cinema and me finally offering seeing both at my place." Clara said, rubbing her cheeks with both hands, the last sentence obviously receiving a better response than anything else her mother said.

"Whatever the reason, you need to get up. Your face looks like someone stepped on it. You might want to take that leaf off your face as well." Ellie laughed and got yet another groan in response. Clara seemed to groan a lot these days.

She peeled the leaf from her face carefully. "This always happens. Remember the splinter in my nose?"

"Of course. I was the one who had to probe around your nostril with tweezers!"

"Oh my God, mom! Don't even talk about it!" exclaimed Clara, digging her hands dramatically in her hair. "How does that even happen?"

"I have no idea, but I'm glad it changed your mind about that piercing."

"Yeah, let's not go there right now." Clara shook her head and got up. "Did you clean my room?" she looked around some more and under her bed. "If I wasn't so glad I don't have to stress about cleaning up anymore, I might have been mad." She laughed and gave her mom a smile. Ellie smiled back, happy that Clara's teenage years were far easier than some other teenagers she'd seen.

"I'll let you take a shower and change. I'll be downstairs making you some snacks. What do you reckon I should cook?" asked Ellie, with one foot outside the room.

"Don't worry too much about it. They're probably going to be too busy bickering to even notice the food.

"So…fish, chips and pizza?"

"Definitely."

* * *

"God, Mickey, do you not change your socks?! Like, _ever_?" the fiery red hair yelled.

" _God, Mickey, do you not change your socks?! Like,_ ever?" the cheeky blonde mocked.

"Stop it, Rose! That's not funny." The red haired girl fired back.

" _Stop it, Rose! That's not funny."_ Rose mocked once again, trying her hardest not to break out laughing and mimicking her movements as well.

"Rory, tell Rose to shut it!" the girl told a dirty blonde and lanky guy.

" _Rory, tell Rose to shut it!"_ Rose burst out laughing and Amy yelled in exasperation.

"Why can't you two just get along, Amy? Better yet, why do you have to be so rude all the time?" Rory sighed deeply, looking over his shoulder at the two girls on the couch.

"Being straight forward is different from being rude!" Amy said, bracing herself for Rose's poor imitation – in her opinion – but it never came. She was still doubling from laughing.

"Actually, telling Mickey his socks stink is rude, Amy." This time it was Clara that intervened, coming back from the kitchen holding a really big tray full of food and drinks. She wasn't very steady on her feet and staggered lightly on her way to the table. "Nobody's going to help the short girl carry the tray? No? I thought so. Do you guys ever?"

"Sorry, Clara! You know me and Rory would help you but the game just got more interesting." Answered the last of the group, Mickey.

"That's what you always say." Retorted Clara, finally putting the tray down, thankful that the ordeal is over.

"Also, my socks don't stink, Amy. You're just too posh for me."

Amy looked like she wanted to say something else and probably even more rude, but Rory threw her a look, pleading to not cause any more commotion. "Whatever." She settled on. She'd never admit it to anyone, but she felt happy when Rory smiled in approval.

"Well, now that's settled, what are we watching? We have exactly five hours and thirty five minutes until my mom will kick you out and make dad drive you home." Clara settled cozily between Rose and Amy on the couch, bringing her legs under her and resting her head on Rose's shoulder.

"Why don't you ever sit on _my_ shoulder? It's always Rose!" Amelia said, obviously pouting at her friend's choice.

"Oh come on, Amy. You're not going to make a competition out of that, are you?" Clara said, just as obviously annoyed. She was started to get fed up with her best friends' pointless fights. She'd tried so many times to get them to be nice – she could even settle for civile - with each other, but she never managed. Call it a selfish reason, but it bothered her that she just could not get them to show their love for each other in a better way. She managed it with Mickey and Rory, why was it so difficult with those two?

"I'm not going to! It's just that you never do it. Makes me feel adored." Amy sulked deeper in the couch.

"Amy, you're just so goddamn tall. I can barely reach your shoulder! It would be extremely uncomfortable and painful for me later on. There's nothing more to it."

Amy's cheeks suddenly turned pink and Rose let out a chuckle, which only resulted in a crimson red faced Amelia. "Oh. Okay. That's fine, then." Was all she could muster. Clara took advantage of that moment of silence and slipped her arms under both Rose and Amy's, bringing them close to her.

"Alright, films?" she asked.

"I vote for horror!" Mickey chimed in, never taking his eyes off the screen.

"Ugh. Anything but, mate." Rory looked over to him looking disgusted at the idea.

"I think a sitcom marathon would be nicer." Put in Amy.

"Better yet: a romcom!" Said Rose excitedly. "It's been so long since I've seen a good one. But I wouldn't say no to a drama either."

"I'm fine with romance." Added Rory, giving the girls a thumbs up, earning a look full of scorn from Mickey.

"Right. I'm just going to grab whatever tape I have." Clara got up from her spot and took a sip from her drink. "Meanwile, close the game, guys." When they didn't move, Amy went and shut down the play station herself, the game shutting off and a normal channel popping up.

"You ruined it, Amy!" The guys yelled in unison which earned an eye roll from Amy.

"Oh, shut it. It's just a game! Watch this channel, bound to be more educative than playing Mario."

"Nothing is more educative than Mario." Rory retorted.

"Right." It was Clara's turn to roll her eyes now. As she rummaged through her parent's cupboard for their tape collection, she could faintly hear her friends in the living room having a discussion. A normal conversation for once. No fighting, just talking. _Ah, this is music to my ears._ She thought.

After finding a few tapes that seemed interesting she closed the door and started towards the room. As the TV became louder, she realised that none of her friends were talking anymore.

"What are you guys watching?" she asked as she let the tapes fall into Rose's lap,

"There's this interview BBC got of some blokes." Answered Rose.

"Some blokes got you all to shut up? I ought to meet them as soon as possible and learn their secrets." Clara joked.

"Me and Rory asked those two to shut up. They're some kind of geniuses in the astronomy field. Now shh." Rose added, not taking her eyes off the TV screen.

Clara did as she was told and turned to look at the screen as well. It was some kind of documentary where they took turns in showing three men talking about astronomy and answering questions. There was a brown haired one which Rose quickly recognised as David Tennant.

"Oooh, he's just _so_ dreamy. And he's got really great hair, don't you think?"

The second man was called Christopher Eccleston and he had a pair of funny ears and a big nose. The last one, they noticed, didn't have a name. In its place there was only written "The Doctor" which they all found extremely odd.

"The Doctor? What kind of poor joke is that?" Mickey pointed his finger at the screen, laughing. "What, is he a doctor that tends to the stars? Finds them stranded on earth and puts them back together with ducktape?" He was clutching to his stomach, his own joke amusing him greatly.

Clara didn't pay him or the small quarell that issued between the four of them any attention and just continued watching. The man was starting to get gray hair, some strands being visible around his ears. His wrinkles weren't yet very deep but they were strewn across all over his face, especially on his forehead. _He must knit those bushy eyebrows a lot._ His features might have been that of a person approaching middle age, but his eyes, noticed Clara, were an icy blue. She could swear she saw them turn grey, but blamed it on the quality of the documentary.

" _There's very few things I find as intriguing as I find the stars."_ The Doctor had said, his voice thick with a scottish accent.

" _Such as medicine,_ Doctor _?"_ the interviewer asked.

" _Yes. I find those two so remarkably alike that it was not even my choice when I started studying them. There was nothing I have ever liked more than using my telescope and wasting bandaids on my perfectly undamaged skin."_ He laughed. Clara smiled when she thought of herself doing that a few years back and getting scolded by her parents. She wondered if he ever got scolded by his.

"… _-ow could you ever get tired of watching the stars? Every time you think you've got it all figured out, you spot something you haven't seen before or discover something you never thought of before. It's the same with medicine. The truth is, you never stop learning. When you think you're oh so clever, the human body or the Universe decides to give you a reality check. There is nothing more beautiful than being proven wrong when you think you know it all. It's an adventure, really. However-"_

"Mickey! I was watching that!" Clara snapped at her friend who had just closed the TV. "What did you do that for?"

"Because it was getting boring, watching that old man talk about the stars. Besides, weren't we supposed to watch films?"

Clara looked at him blankly for a while and then remembered that they indeed were supposed to watch telly together. She forgot all about the Doctor and his stars and all that was left was a single big question: _What do we watch now?_

* * *

Clara Oswald never really remembered exactly where she had heard the speech drawn all over the wall above her bed. She didn't always care about who it was, but once in a while she wished she could search for the person and learn more about him. But, if she were completely honest to herself, it never truly bothered her. The life of a teenager wasn't a straight line where everyone knew from the start what they wanted to do. It was a bumpy road, one on which you found yourself often stranded on. Before she noticed, her fifteen birthday had come and gone and she had all but forgotten about the curly haired man on the telly.

"Who's moving across the street, Amy?"

"If I knew, I would've already told you, Rory."

"Haven't you seen anyone coming in?'

"No, it's only been the people with the moving agency going back and forth. Never seen anyone resembling a family."

Amy was paiting her nails on her bed while Rory was sitting on her windowsill. They were waiting for the rest of their friends to join them. That night was the one time a month where they would gather at one of their houses and sleep over. Not something normal fifteen year olds would do. Then again, they never considered themselves a normal group of friends. Everyone thought that they were as compatible as water and oil. But they never thought to check the inside, for there never were more loyal and trustworthy people.

"That's odd. Do you reckon it'll be used as a vacation home?"

"They must be stupid, then. Why buy such a huge and luxurious house just to see it once or twice a year?"

"You're being rude again." Warned Rory gravely.

"Shut up, Williams." Amy snapped.

"Pond."

"Shut up, _please_."

"Haha, much better! We're learning." But he never got a response. They spent their time in a comfortable silence, doing their own thing.

"Hey guys. What's up with the fancy Mercedes in the front?" Rose said, coming inside the room with Mickey and Clara behind her.

"Mercedes?" Rory asked, looking out of the window. "Oh, that wasn't there before."

"Really neat car." Added Mickey.

"So I supose it's not a vacation home, Amy."

"Good. It means they have their brains in the right place."

"Hey, there's someone coming out of the house." Said Clara. Everyone gathered around the window but it wasn't wide enough to allow everyone to see the street properly. Clara, Rory and Rose were in the front while the others tiptoed behind to get a better look.

"Well don't they look fancy." Said Rose.

"Do you think they're maried?" Asked Rory.

"By the looks of it." Provided Clara. "Awww! Look, guys! They have a dog."

"They don't look very friendly, do they?" added in Amy with a frown.

"Look who's talking. The Queen of The Cold Shoulder." Scoffed Mickey.

"Shut up, guys! We're trying to see." Interrupted Rose.

"Do you need ears to see, Rose?"

"I'll slap you, Mickey."

"Just like your mom, you are."

"I know I'm gorgeous, thanks."

"Hey, there's someone else coming out." Said Rory.

They all turned their attention on the new person that emerged from the house. It was a tall and thin boy, most probably around their age. He was walking stiffly towards the car and he looked positively freezing in his shirt and pants.

"What's he doing out in the cold in those clothes? If he wants pneumonia he should just sleep naked." Joked Mickey once again.

"Oh, I don't know. I rather like his outft. Nice tie, goes well with the straps." Clara mused.

"He looks like a dork, Clara. I swear, you always pick the geeks." Commented Rose, not paying any attention to the family anymore. "Not saying it's a bad thing, but you don't need those kind of guys."

"Oh come on, Rose. I'm only fifteen. I don't need any kind of guys right now. What can I do if I like bowties, ties and dress shirts? They're fancy."

"If by fancy you mean maths professor look, then yes."

"Not doing this right now, Rose. This is make up all over again."

"Truth be told, Clara, Rose is right. A little make up never hurt anybody." Added Amy.

"If you two want to cake up stuff on your face, then so be it. Guys don't like heavy make up

anyway." Clara looked at her two male best friends for reassurance but they didn't want anyting to do with the discussion so they looked away. _Abandoning me, I see. I need new friends_ , thought Clara.

They looked at the family for a bit more while they carried a few stuff inside and then Rose spoke up.

"I'll give five quid to whoever goes down and introduces themselves to Poshvilles over there."

"I'll do it! Easiest five quid I've done in my life!" Mickey excclaimed.

"Actually…why doesn't Clara do it? She never joins in the fun." Amy smirked. "About time she took on a challenge."

"Me? Why me? I don't want to." Clara shook her head vigurously, widening her eyes.

"I told you to stop bulging out your eyes like that." Rose told Clara.

"Yeah, makes you look like a toad." Added Mickey.

"You're the one being rude now, Mickey! Leave her alone. It's not Clara's fault her eyes are big. Don't listen to them, Clara." Rory tried comforting her but Clara wasn't listening anymore.

"Shut up. All of you just shut up!" She had cried out. Everyone was looking at her without saying anything. She stormed out of the room and out of the house before anyone could say anything else.

 _They're so annoying! UGH. I'll show them. I'll go up to them and introduce myself and I I'll, I'll-_

"Oh, hello there."

Clara stopped in mid-walk and stared at the boy in front of her, He was carrying a big messenger bag on his right side, another one on his left and two small boxes under both his underarms. The feature which stood out the most for Clara was his really long chin. He looked as if he still had yet to grow into it. She had to admit he looked rather cute standing there, looking confused while trying not to drop anything. Clara felt her cheeks redding. _It's because of the cold. It's just the cold._ Not _flustered._

"Hi." She said, exhaling deeply and giving him a small smile and wave. "I'm Clara."

"Nice to meet you, Clara. I'm John." He smiled back, adjusting the bags under his arms. Clara hurried to him and caught a box right before it slipped from his grasp.

"Oh, easy there! Trying to carry a bit too much on your own, aren't ya?"

"Thanks. Yeah, I guess. But my parents already went inside and told me to get the rest. I'm not a two trip kind of guy." He laughed. _That is one_ amazing _laugh. Oh my stars._

"Haha." She smiled nervously. "I know what you mean. I mean, who likes making two trips, right? It's all about will. I mean, If you set your mind to it, anybody can carry double their weight in groceries and we'll soon become like ants, super humans, that is and I'm just rambling now, aren't I?" She had said everything extremely fast and inhaled sharply at the end.

"A little bit." He chuckled. "It's fine, though. I can be a pretty fast talker. It's the first time I met someone who comes close to my skills!"

"Glad I didn't make a complete fool out of myself." Clara said carefully.

"Not at all! I think it's charming." John smiled playfully and Clara could swear her knees turned to jelly. _Another smile like that and I know I'll be a goner._ Her thoughts were interrupted by John's sudden movement and she found herself looking straight into his eyes. He had pale green eyes, nothing like Amy and Rose's deep ones. His eyebrows were even more pale in comparison – so pale in fact, Clara thought he had none for a second. John's voice brought her back to the present.

"Look at you! You're shivering like mad." Clara never noticed that she was only in her thin, black turtle neck, twenty DEN tights and short skirt. She had also brought the box closer to herself, unconsciouly trying to keep her body warm. "Do you want to come inside? I'm sure I packed some tea bags somewhere. Might take a while to find them but it's better than freezing out here, no?" He kindly offered.

"Oh, I don't know if I should…I mean, my friends are waiting for me back inside and…" She gestured awkwardly towards Amy's house behind them. _Stupid. Now he'll think I'm rude and possibly avoid me from now on. Good job, Clara Oswald._

"That's alright, then. I wouldn't want to keep your friends waiting. Maybe another time?" He backed away slightly and didn't look offended by Clara's words.

"Yeah…That sounds…" She started, but the image of her friends fighting back inside made her have a change of heart. "Actually, I'd love a cup of tea right now. My friends can wait. Show the way, chin boy." She said as she took a big step towards him and smiled broadly.

"Hey! My chin is not _that_ big." John said as he scrunched up his face in such a way to make his chin look smaller. He recovered quickly, however. "This way, Clara." He said excitedly and moved out of her way, gesturing with his head towards the door.

* * *

 **Hey guys! Sorry I took so long to update but I'm on vacation right now and I'm going back on the 24** **th** **. Because I didn't want to make ou wait that long, I decided to write it a little bit every day before bed, so that took a while. I hope you guys liked it and I want to thank you for the reviews, favourites and follows! I appreciate em so so much. You're great! I'm goin to reply to reviews at the end of chpaters from now on:**

 **AdorkableAlyssa:** **I'm glad you liked it! I thought it was a bit stiff but the first chater is always nerv wrecking! Thank you for the support, love!**

 **Abcde:** **I think I am, yes! I never really hought it's similar to that but now that you mention it, it is alike! Thank you for your review, it makes me feel so loved 3**


	3. Questions

**Hey guys! Wow it's been SO LONG since my last update. I guess nobody even thought I was going to continue it anymore, amirite? But I guess at some point I didn't think so either. I've started Uni for a month now and everything's so hectic and it's hard to start anything. Homesickness and other kind of blues, if you will. I was supposed to do school work, but instead I just sealed my fate (probably) and chose to write this chapter. I got really impatient at the end because it just didn't seem to** _ **end**_ **and I kind of hurried it. I hope it's not that noticeable. Also, I know that at this point this fanfic seems more Clara x 11 than Clara x 12 but I assure you it's getting there. Next chapter is going to have even more Whoffaldi in it. I'm building it up, but if you think it's** _ **too**_ **slow, let me know and I'll pick up the pace in a jiffy!**

 **P.S. This chapter is a whooping 7,840 words! Almost double of the last chapter. Do you think it's too long like this? Let me know what you guys think! Thank you all so much! 3 3 3**

 **The third time was actually the second time they came face to face.**

* * *

"Clara, are you sure this is okay? What if the teachers catch us? Oh God, mother will literally _kill_ me. And yes! I know how to use literally and I am not joking. And my _father_ , well, my father might just disown me. How am I supposed to pay for University when _that_ happens?"

Clara turned her head and whispered to him sharply. "John, stop blabbering." She turned her head back around the corner, sticking her back to the wall as close as possible.

"But-" John tried again but was cut short by Clara's hand over his mouth. His face was hot and his breathing laboured. _I wish he'd stop being such a worry wart,_ thought Clara. She tried her best to reassure him.

"I promise it's going to be okay, alright? You can't back down now. We said we'd go to this conference together. You won't leave me alone, would you, John?" As much as she told herself that she'll stop persuading her best friend with her puppy eyes, she often found herself resorting to it when she needed to get her way. One conflicted look and then a very dramatic sigh later, Clara knew John would play along with her plans again.

"Alright. But just so you know, the puppy eyes have never been fair." John replied, looking more relaxed after taking a definite decision. Clara turned around once more and gave him a cocky smile.

"I knew you'd come around. You always do, Smith."

John pinched Clara's nose gently and held his hands there for a second. "That's only because you have the biggest pair of eyes possible on a human being, Oswald." He smiled and Clara quickly turned around once more, not wanting John to see the pink that she could feel stretching across her cheeks. _I'll tell him one of those days. Today, tomorrow, maybe next week…or month. That is if the clever brat didn't already figure it out._ As silence fell upon them, Clara found it hard to concentrate on the task at hand – of waiting and making sure none of the security guards will see them walking away from the school grounds – because her mind was going in overdrive with thoughts about the wonderful lad behind her. It didn't help that his breath was so close to her neck. Sometimes it seemed ridiculous that a crush could last as long as hers. _It's not even a crush anymore. I've been in love with him for a long while now…_ No matter how many times she got close to saying it, she always chickened out at the last second. God only knows what John must've thought of her every time he caught her staring at him, asked her _'What's wrong, Clara?'_ only to excuse herself to the bathroom or pretending she heard someone calling for her. _He's going away soon and then every thing will fall apart and you won't forgive yourself for not trying harder._

Her thoughts were interrupted by John's voice and a sudden heat of wave at the back of her neck. Her body shuddered pleasantly. "Is it okay to go now? I haven't heard anyone for the last five minutes."

She took one last look around the school grounds and after she was sure nobody was around anymore she got up from the crouched position she was in. "Yeah, I think it's safe now. "

John held her hand and she looked at him in surprise. "What are you waiting for then, Clara? Run!" And run they did. He held her hand tightly as he led the way carefully around the school grounds and out the main gate. John kept running even after they were a safe distance from the school so Clara felt compelled to yell at him.

"John! John, you can stop running now! We're far from the school!" The stop was so abrupt that she couldn't help running head on into his back with a loud _OOF_ . "I said you could stop running but not right this _second_. "

"I'm so sorry, Clara! Did you hurt yourself? Anything broken? Strained? Your ankle? Face? Out of breath? What's wrong, tell me!" John fussed over her, taking her face into his hand gently and lifting her head so he could examine her more attentively. "You're steady on your feet, that's good, that's brilliant! You don't seem dizzy, just red in the face. I suppose running does that to you, doesn't it, Clara. Ohhh, but your nose is red, that's not good. Did you hurt your nose? No blood, that's a good sign."

Clara thought she might be dizzy then, if it wasn't for the budding pain in her neck from the way he held her face looking up. John was almost a foot taller than her so it was natural that she was always looking up to him. She might have wondered before how he looked from above but she was soon more attached to the way his whole body would cover hers when he gave her one of his bear hugs.

"I'm fine, really. My nose hurts a little but that's about it. I was just telling you to stop because there was no use to running anymore."

He smiled down at her, one of his brilliant smiles that Clara had loved right from the beginning. "Good. Wouldn't want your pretty nose to get scrunched up, would we now?" He tapped the tip of her nose once with his index finger and then let go of her altogether. "Now that we established that you're still in functioning order, shall we proceed?"

She laughed and linked her arm with his. "We shall, aye!" And they walked arm in arm all the way to her house.

Clara took a look through the window to make sure her parents weren't at home before unlocking the front door. She dragged John inside before her nosy neighbours saw them and would tell on her.

"Clara, there is such a thing as too keen!" He laughed while going up the stairs.

"You'd know all about that wouldn't you, John!" She yelled and then followed him quickly to her room. When she got there he was already sprawled face down on the bed with his backpack put neatly on her desk. "Look who's comfortable."

He took a glance at her and then sank his face in her pillows again. Clara's heart skipped a bit at the thought that his scent might linger enough for her to fall asleep surrounded by it. _You're being a total creep, Clara Oswald._

"So what? I must make myself at home since it's barely 10:30, I'm tired and you're about to go do your girly things which I know for sure that they take thirty four minutes and twenty six seconds per average. And that's when you say it's your _I'm-not-messy-but-still-look-as-if-I'm-not-trying_ look. For such an occasion it will take you anywhere between fifty two minutes and one hour and nine min-"

Clara cut him off abruptly, holding her hands to her ears and hurrying to her closet. "Alright, alright. I get it! I take a long time getting ready!"

John looked almost hurt and placed a hand above his heart, over dramatically, again. "Well I never-! Clara Oswald, I never said such a thing!"

She scoffed and started looking through her wardrobe. It took her longer than expected to settled on the dress her mother had bought for her birthday that year. It was an A-line, long sleeved pretty thing. Red, with a subtle checked pattern and a black Peter Pan collar. Clara never wore it, saving it for a more special occasion than just going to school. She moved the hanger on top of her wardrobe and grabbed a thick pair of black tights, draping them right next to it. She chose a pair of reddish-brown, lace-up, oxford shoes with a low wedge heel.

After finally being happy with her choice of outfit she turned back to look at John. He had fallen asleep and was now breathing softly. His head was turned away from her and she couldn't help but laugh at the way his long limbs were dangling from the edge, her bed being a couple of inches too short for him. He looked so peaceful sprawled over her small bed, that it was out of her power when she got closer and sat on the edge. She started caressing his hair lovingly and smiled at the fact that John's hair was as silky and fluffy as always. Clara might not have had the courage to tell him up front how she felt, but she allowed herself moments like this. It was not the first time she bent down and pressed a kiss to the top of his head and then one on his temple. Suddenly embarrassed, she jumped from the bed, grabbed a pair of clean underwear and ran to the bathroom.

After she showered, applied a thin layer of make up and made sure her hair was in place, she returned to her room. To no surprise, John was still sleeping, in the exact position he was before she left. Sighing, Clara grabbed her clothes and went to change in her parent's bedroom. While she was putting her shoes on, she heard John calling her.

"Clara? Clara where are you!" He shouted and then Clara heard the sound of the door opening. His voice was louder now. "The clock in your room shows me it's been approximately one hour and ten minutes which is one minutes over the maximum its ever taken you to get ready!"

Just as she was getting off the bed, the door burst open. "Aha! There you are!"

She walked over to him and then around him into the hallway. "I'm not dead, Smith. I was just finishing." When she didn't hear him saying anything back or follow her she stopped and looked at him. "What? No witty come back from the cleverest brat I know?"

John swallowed and then broke into a huge smile, his light eyebrows almost reaching his hairline. "Clara Oswald! Look at you! You look beautiful!"

"So I'm not beautiful all of the time is what you mean?" She couldn't help wanting to tease him. John always got so flustered.

His eyebrows were suddenly knitting together, the sudden change very comical. "What! No!" He started gesticulating furiously with his hands. He usually did that, but it got worse when he was embarrassed or anxious. "Why would you ever say-"

Clara started laughing and made her way back into her room to get her coat and muffler on. "Come on, I was messing with you. Come over here and get dressed quick. We'll miss the train!" And just like that he was ready to go in under two minutes.

* * *

"I can't believe we're actually here." Clara said. They both gaped at the big, imposing building in front of them. "Pinch me, John. Or-or better yet, hold me. I feel myself going weak in the knees."

He laughed at that and turned to Clara. He grabbed her shoulders gently and smoothed out her coat. "We're really here, Clara! We're just about to sneak into the University of Manchester just so we can attend a conference!"

John's bright demeanour helped little to smooth out Clara's nerves. "I'm not so sure about this anymore…" Her eyes started shifting nervously between her best friend and the building in front of them.

He was quick to catch on it and grabbed her face. "Look at me, Clara. Stop thinking about all that could go _wrong_. Think about the things that will go _right_. We're going to be fine. If anyone asks why we're here, we're going to tell them that we're in our last year of College so we're looking around, remember? That's what we settled on." He let his hands fall. Clara closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. When she opened her eyes again, they were full of determination.

"Come on, Chin Boy. There's medical geniuses waiting for us inside!"

"That's my Clara!" John said and Clara felt her heart blooming at that small affectionate way of addressing her. She loved it when he called her that. _His Clara. His. His. His,_ she thought, all the way inside. She's never loved her name more than when it rolled off his tongue.

They found themselves in a room brimming full with people. Miraculously, they found spots almost in the front, but near the wall. It was out of eyesight for most people but they still had a pretty clear view of the front. They were both giddy with excitement, cracking jokes under their breaths and giggling like little kids caught in the act of doing something bad.

"I can't believe we'll see the Doctor in real life! I bet TV doesn't even compare!" John said enthusiastically. He was bouncing from one foot to another and Clara found it hard not to do the same. It had been her dream for two years now to see the doctor in real life. Ever since John had shown her his work and realised that he was the one whose word she'd written on her wall, she made it their mission to see him live at least once before they graduated College.

"I still think I must be dozing off in History and dreaming about all of this. I hope I don't wake up any time soon. I just-" She started, but when she didn't continue, John encouraged her with a _'Go on, what's bothering you?'_ and Clara found herself confiding in John once again. "I don't know, John. What if he ends up being totally different in real life? I mean…" she bit her lip and looked over to the stage nervously. "I mean, I've spent the last two years of my life looking up to this man – at this guy who half the world considers him one of the greatest geniuses in medicine and the other half a mad, brilliant astronomer -, taking all of his words and speeches to heart. For God's sake, I've tried reading his outrageously complicated research books! And although my head was hurting from all the information, I read them as if they were some sort of Bible for me. He's…He's so _perfect_ from an intellectual point of view and so _passionate_ about what he's doing. But that's when you read articles and news about him or when you watch the very rare videos that he stars in. I'm scared that I'll be so disappointed because I have this ridiculous standards I expect him to meet. " Clara left her words trail off and decided only on staring holes into the floor. She was biting her lip so hard she knew blood will start flowing soon but she couldn't stop. In her mind, this conference was decisive for her future. If she was impressed, she'd finally make the decision between going into teaching or medicine. But if she was disappointed…what happened then?

Clara was roused from her inner thoughts when she felt John's finger entwine with hers. His hand was incredibly warm, she realised. All her warmth must have dissolved in her frenzy. He spoke low and wasn't looking at Clara as he did. "I know it's scary. I know how you feel. I know _exactly_ how you feel. Sometimes, when I'm thinking about the future, there's not a lot I want to do except for medicine. But sometimes I'm thinking that I don't even want to do _that_. I'm left so confused, Clara. I like medicine, I do. I know that. But in my mind, just as in yours, I doubt my passion. _What if it's just my parents' influence that's making me want to do it,_ I'm thinking. And the only way to remind myself that is by reading about him." He turned his head and smiled down at Clara, gently tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "So at least, if we get disappointed, we'll be disappointed together, won't we, Clara?"

Clara's heart was caught in her throat. She squeezes his hand tightly and nods her head once. John smiles, lets go of her hand and puts the same arm around her shoulders, bringing her close to him. Her body flushes against him as he rests his chin on top of her head. She can't say anything as John rubs her shoulder and she can feel him smiling. Suddenly, she's not anxious anymore.

"It'll always be me and you, Clara. John Smith and Clara Oswald until the end of the universe." John said and Clara cuddled closer to him at his words.

"You and me, chin boy." She said, resting her head on his chest and she barely hears his protest at her pet name, the one he's had since the first hour together.

When it was time for the Doctor to finally come on stage, everyone fell silent. Nobody said a word as he made his way to the podium.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I hope you're all well today because I might ramble quite a bit and I wouldn't want to bore you to death! I'm the Doctor by the way." He said with a smile and scratching his salt-and-pepper hair a bit. There was a round of applause and Clara found herself clapping as if her life depended on it. Her eyes were big with anticipation and she could hardly breathe from the buzz it all gave her.

After the clapping died down, he started talking again, more confident this time. _He's not used to being on stage._ Clara thought matter-of-factly. "Well, I said _ramble_ but I'm not going to talk uselessly. I suppose I'm going to make a small introduction of myself and then give you free way to ask me as many questions as you can fit in an hour!"

"I've recently developed an interesting device which I'm sure most of you have heard about. I've been out of the spotlight for almost half a year because… well, not that I don't like talking to you all or love melting under all those lights…" The audience laughed and Clara found herself liking him more than the image she'd constructed. _He's brilliant. Brilliant_ and _funny. This is going nicely._ She thought as the doctor kept going.

"The truth is I had my hands full between basically living at the hospital and working on my project. So once I found myself free of one of those, I decided to relax a bit. And I'm starting to suspect I'm secretly a machine because I don't like it when I sleep a lot and I love it when I can talk to people about what's going on in my head. So I asked my good friend, David Tennant – he's just right there, on the chair." The Doctor pointed at a nearby chair behind him and the audience gave a round of applause for him as well. "So I asked him if we could go around the country to talk and open up the minds of young people to the wonderful opportunities that are awaiting them in our amazing fields of expertise – opinion which is not biased at all, thank you very much – and he was more than happy to indulge me! It's been a long while since we've done it. I remember the first time we started doing this. It was around twelve years ago if I'm not wrong. We went around primary schools and just talked with little children openly. It was a breath of fresh air compared to our busy and demanding schedules." He stopped for a second and his eyes grew softer, possibly at the memory of those times.

He soon started talking again. "This is why we're here today. The University of Manchester is the second we've visited this week. I'll answer your questions now. Lecturers, students and press alike. Please keep in mind that the questions will be strictly professional."

The moment he stopped talking, questions were heard from every corner of the big room and suddenly Clara was overwhelmed. She had thought about what questions she could ask for so long, but now that she was surrounded by so many people who wanted the same thing as she did, her confidence began to falter.

"Let's get closer, Clara!" John said eagerly.

Panic overtook Clara. She could feel herself sweating. "Closer? What do you mean closer? We're close enough. I don't want to go to the front. What if someone realises we're not supposed to be here? We don't have a permit. Or worse, John! What if he _sees_ us?!" She exhaled everything in one breath. Her emotional stability was crumbling and John had the _audacity_ to laugh in her face. "What?! Why are you laughing, John? It's not funny!"

"Oh, Clara. _You're_ the funny one. Your face is green. You look like you're about to faint."

"Well, I am!"

"Don't be." He said suddenly, tugging on her hand, making his way through the crowd, along the wall. "I'll be right here. We both have questions to ask. Let's not waste this opportunity!"

Clara couldn't say anything anymore as she let herself being dragged by John. Her small body was shoved around so much she thought she wouldn't make it alive before she got to the front. The trip was easier for John, seeing as he was a lot taller and bulkier than her skinny frame. When they finally emerged at the front, she was so relieved and her vision so blurred that she almost forgot where they were.

When she looked around, everyone was paying attention to the doctor as he was answering a question. Clara couldn't make much sense of it without the context but she realised it was something about his device.

"I have a prototype and it's going to be released to the public for experimental treatment soon. But that's all I can reveal about that, folks." He said as he smiled. From the front, you could clearly see that his hair was now more salt then pepper and his face had gathered a nice collection of wrinkles, especially between his eyebrows and on his forehead.

"Alright, next question! Who wants to go next?"

"I have a question, Doctor!" Clara was absolutely terrified when she realised that the voice came from right next to her. From _John_.

"The young man with the bowtie! Ask away."

Clara flinched. As much as she liked his bowties, she told him to leave it at home. _It will attract too much attention_ , she had said. She wished she hadn't been right.

"I was just wondering, Doctor, since the internet is not a very reliable source, how many degrees do you have? Also, do you mind if I ask when you just _knew_ you wanted to study medicine? Or was it a thing you've always felt suited you?"

The doctor answered right away, as if he had expected those questions to pop up some time soon. _I bet he went over all the possible questions and prepared all the answers before hand. Is his mind working even in his sleep?_ Clara found herself thinking.

"I have three four degrees in total: one in astrophysics, two in medicine – neurosurgery and cardiothoracic surgery and one in music."

The audience was suddenly so quiet Clara heard John swallow before addressing the doctor again. " _Music?_ "

The Doctor laughed good naturedly at everyone's amazement. "Yes, music. Which brings me to your second question. No, I haven't always _known_ or _felt_ that medicine was right for me or that it was what I wanted to do. In fact, it only occurred to me after I was in a car accident. I was on my way to a gig and the next thing I knew I was in a hospital bed. My mother let me know I had been asleep for 4 days and that it was a miracle I was alive. Apparently I should've died but for the fantastic neurosurgeon that took care of me. After that it was a frenzy of getting into medical school, finding it life changing and deciding on continuing. My astrophysics degree was after my neurosurgery one. Then the Cardiothoracic Surgery one."

"How long were you in University for?! That's a lot of degrees."

"Imagine everyone's surprise as I finished my second degree in four years, third one in two and the last in another four."

"So you had four degrees by the age of… _34_?" John asked incredulous. Clara could feel the respect oozing out of him. His eyes also sparked with what Clara could only identify as new found hope. She smiled at the thought that he was finally convinced he was _made_ for medicine. _For someone with a mind as clever as his, he sure can be daft sometimes._

"35. I had to stay in the hospital for a while after the accident."

John was silent for a moment before talking again. "Thank you. That's all I wanted to know." His smile was big and heartfelt and Clara was glad he got the answers he was looking for.

"It was my pleasure…" The Doctor replied unsure.

"John. My name's John Smith. And I think you just helped me make _my_ life changing decision."

Between the approving smiles and the roar of the crowd that erupted once again, Clara forgot all about her questions. She turned to John and hugged him by the neck tightly. She sank her face in the crook of his neck and exhaled for what seemed like a long time. "I'm so happy for you, chin boy. You got your answers, didn't you? Your face was an open book."

John didn't waste a single moment and wrapped his arms around Clara, tighter than he had ever before. She couldn't breathe properly but found that she didn't mind in the least. It was a pleasant kind of pain. When he lifted her off the ground for a few second she thought she might faint from the lack of air, though. When she was put down, she glanced the Doctor's way. _Was he looking this way? Wait, is that a smile?_ But she didn't have time to dwell on it before John started whispering in her ear. Her skin prickled.

"I did, Clara! I did! I don't think it could've went any better. I feel so much better now that I know even a genius has his doubts. Maybe more so than normal people."

She pried herself from his arms, just a little bit, so she could look at his face. She grabbed his head gently and spoke slowly, as if she was talking with a child. "You're more than normal, John. You're brilliant and mad and oh, so kind. When I'll be calling you _Dr._ Smith, I'll know you deserve that title more than anyone. "

He didn't say anything at all or move for a few seconds but then Clara was horrified to see that his eyes were glistening, the warning of tears obvious. Before she could mention it, he bent down and sank his face in her shoulder. "Thank you, Clara. My Clara."

The moment didn't last long as John was accidentally shoved forward, almost making both of them fall to the floor. The sudden movement seemed to rise him from his own thoughts and he jerked suddenly from the embrace.

"Clara! Clara, your question! You didn't ask him a question! You had a really important question to ask him! Oh, God, I completely forgot. Forgive me, Clara. I was so caught up in the moment I didn't realise…" John said, his expression so horrified that Clara had to fight the urge to soothe him with something else than a hug. The way he held her by the waist with one hand and another on her shoulder brought to life a delicious feeling in the lower part of her stomach. She bit her lip. _Oh my stars, I'll do something I regret soon._ So she detangled herself slowly from him as to not rise suspicion and tried her best to soothe him with words, even thought that was _far_ from how Clara wanted to solve the problem.

"It's okay, no big deal! There's still twenty minutes left. I'm waiting for the opportunity to ask him and then he'll wish I never opened my mouth!" Clara had told him with the most convincing smile she had.

But the opportunity never came. Or rather, she didn't take it. As the minutes went by, John was growing more and more impatient, nudging Clara now and again to let her know that he thought it was a good time as any to get talking. She never did. After each missed opportunity she kept telling herself she'll do it next time but as the moment approached, she couldn't open her mouth.

Just like that, the hour was up and the doctor was saying his goodbyes and thanked everyone for having him. As John and Clara listened to all the other people that were left, she felt herself getting more and more depressed. It got so bad halfway through the speech of another famous doctor that she excused herself from John with the pretext that she needed to use the bathroom. He looked at her worriedly for a moment, deciding whether to believe her or not, but one determined – albeit glossy - look from Clara, he backed down and told her to get back safely.

She hurried to the bathroom, made sure no one else was there and went inside a stall. She allowed herself to weep quietly for a couple of minutes before grabbing some toilet paper and wiped at her cheeks angrily. _You're such an idiot, Clara Oswald. You wanted to be here so_ badly _. You skipped a whole day of school and spent money for nothing. I hope you're happy with yourself, you bloody coward!_ After she was sure there were no more tears coming, she decided that she needed to use the toilet. While washing her hands she looked at herself in the mirror and was pleased to see that her waterproof make up was doing its job. There was no sign of crying except for some redness of the eyes. She dried her hands and made sure her hair was neat before getting out of the bathroom.

She was searching for her phone in her bag, wanting to text John that she wasn't coming back into the room and that she'd be waiting outside when she collided into someone. Her bag fell from her hands and thankfully nothing else fell out of it except for her wallet as she stumbled backwards and hurried up to pick it. Another pair of hands met her halfway and she didn't have the courage to look up to see in front of who she made a fool of herself.

"I-I'm sorry. I wasn't looking. I was searching for my phone. I needed to text someone. God I'm such a klutz sometimes." She raised back to her feet as her wallet was being given back to her.

"That's quite alright, miss. No harm done! I'm feeling just dandy." The person replied.

Clara recognised the voice immediately and couldn't help but stare when she looked up. It was David Tennant, the Doctor's best friend, Rose's celebrity crush and another person Clara looked up to. David Tennant was for astronomy what the Doctor was for medicine. She bit her lip nervously. _I'm going to end up with a scar if I don't stop this habit._

She was confused when his face suddenly fell when he properly looked at her. Then realisation dawned on her and she couldn't look away quickly enough after that.

"Oh no. Why are you crying? Did something happen? Are you hurt? Need something? There's water over there. Come, I'll show you." He hovered over her all worries and frowns. Clara couldn't quite understand where all the panic had come from. It's not like he knew her, right?

She dismissed his help fast. "I-I'm fine, really." She lied. "I was just a bit overwhelmed inside. Too many people around, getting squished. You know, the usual when you're as short as I am." After saying that she realised just how tall he was, too. Taller than her John, that one was.

He relaxed at her words but he just didn't seem to be able to mind his own business. "I know a crying lady when I see one. If you don't want to tell me, that's fine, really. But I thought I'd like to help you if there was any way I could." He spoke softly and his eyes were so full of understanding that Clara couldn't help telling him what was bothering her.

"I'm just disappointed that I didn't get to ask the Doctor any questions, is all." She said, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible. She shrugged and continued. "Maybe next time he's on a 'tour' around."

The man broke into a huge grin and she thought she could see why Rose had such a big crush on him. _When she'll hear that I've spoken to him she'll either pester me about everything that has to do with him or want to push me out the window from jealousy._ Clara thought with a smile.

"Well, miss…"

"Clara. "

"Clara. I could help with that if you wanted me to!"

Her heart leapt. It was beating like crazy inside her body. Could he really? Would he take her to the doctor in private if she asked him to? The idea was too good to be true. She couldn't help hoping it would happen, though.

"Really? How?!" She asked him, her voice a bit too high for her liking. Her heart fluttered in her chest and her smile was tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Yeah. He just excused himself a couple of minutes ago. Don't tell him I told you, but those trips are tiring him out after the busy year he's had." He winked at her and suddenly Clara felt incredibly bold. As if she could ask anything of him and she'd show her even the stars if she asked. _Ironic, seeing what he specialises in._

"Oh my stars! You'd bring me to him? Really, truly?"

"Haven't heard that expression before!" He laughed and she knew he was referring to the expression she's gotten from her mom. "But sure I will, Clara. If he's willing, I'll bring you to him, alright?"

"Oh, please! That would be so awesome! I'll be in your debt forever. I only have a question to ask him. A single one." Clara couldn't contain her smile anymore and the next minutes were such a blur that when she came back to her wits she realised she was waiting outside a door and she could hear the muffled voices of the _Doctor_ and David Tennant.

When David poked his head out, Clara knew just by looking at his grin that she was allowed in. She went through the door gingerly, as if afraid she'll scare the doctor somehow and he'll decide he wouldn't meet her after all.

When she entered, he was sitting on a light brown couch with a mug in his hand. She wondered what he was having. _He seems like a coffee person_ , she decided. As she got closer and closer the Doctor only smiled kindly. He seemed so tired from so up close. She could see all of his rebel strands of hair and suddenly he seemed more like a human person than the idolised image she'd been nursing with such care.

When he talked, it was low and his Scottish accent thicker than ever, but not unkind. "Sit, Clara. Don't stand. Standing is such a chore, isn't it?"

Clara didn't answer as she sat on the other side of the couch, maybe just a little bit closer than deemed polite. But her boldness hadn't left her yet, so all was good. David took a seat at a desk, turning the chair around and sitting with its back between his legs. Both of them were watching Clara intently.

"I hear you have a question for me, Clara" The Doctor said and her name from his lips brought her back to reality, more forcefully than anything. "I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to ask me back there. I should've known that the press would ask the most questions, not leaving enough room for students. You're a student, right?"

"I am but not at this University…" She started meekly, but after he raised his eyebrow in question while sipping his tea, Clara suddenly realise that he wouldn't tell anyone they'd come without a permit. "I'm in my last year of college, actually. Me and my best friend kind of…sneaked, inside?" She talked slowly and with an embarrassed grin on her face. "We couldn't get permits but we've wanted to see you live for _so long_ that we knew we'd have to sneak in no matter what. It was easier than expected, to be honest." This time she giggled and talked about their 'infiltration' with a sense of pride.

Much to her surprise, both of them laughed. This time it was David that spoke. "Ah, young people. I wish I still could get around like that. Sounds like you guys are one hell of a duo."

Clara flushed pleased at his comment and made a mental note to herself that she and John made a nice duo to _them_. So who cared what anyone else thought.

"Then I _must_ answer your question if you've went to so much trouble to come and see me! You flatter me. You and your boyfriend with the bowtie." The Doctor smirked as he sipped from his cup again. _It's earl grey. He's drinking earl grey,_ Clara realised, catching a wift of the smell coming from his mug.

"He's…He's not my boyfriend."

"Oh, he isn't? By the way you guys hugged I'd swear you two were together!" David said, the trace of a smug smirk on his face.

"David, don't scare her, now. She's here to ask me questions, not to hear you make implications, you old bat."

"Look who's talking. _Old bat_ he says! Ha" David said while shaking his head and resting his chin on the chair.

"So, Clara, the question? I wouldn't want to keep you too much. The convention should have been done for a few minutes. I'm sure John's searching for you."

She knew the thought of John frantically searching for her should have made her want to run out of the room and assure him she's alright, but now that she was in the room with those two, she couldn't seem to unglue herself from her spot on the couch. However, she knew she was overstaying her welcome so she struggled to find the most important question she had wanted to put forward but never got to. Her head was swarming with all the possibilities. She quickly decided on one, the choice being so obvious.

"A few years ago I wrote this brilliant quote on my wall, above my bed and for a long while I had no idea who said it. I could remember the words clearly, just not the person. The quote was: _'H_ _ow could you ever get tired of watching the stars? Every time you think you've got it all figured out, you spot something you haven't seen before or discover something you never thought of before. It's the same with medicine. The truth is, you never stop learning. When you think you're oh so clever, the human body or the Universe decides to give you a reality check. There is nothing more beautiful than being proven wrong when you think you know it all. It's an adventure, really.'_ _"_ When she finished reciting the words – now like a prayer to her – she could see both of them smiling. Different kinds of smiles that she couldn't quite place. But smiles she liked, nonetheless.

"I think I know who that might have been." The Doctor replied.

Clara smiled sweetly and continued enthusiastically. "I now do, too. Found out a couple of years back. I've been reciting them almost every night since then. They sum up what I think about the world so clearly. I'm torn because to me is the world is consisted of people and knowledge. People are the vessels of knowledge, but they need to be nurtured to enjoy that knowledge. Whereas knowledge is just there and I ache to research it and get pleasantly frustrated when I realise that my learning has never stopped and never will." She spoke everything from the bottom of her heart. She's vocalised her thoughts so many times to John, the first time weakly, fearing he'd think her silly, and then more confidently and more torn every time. They came to her easily now. But of fear of rambling too much, she went straight to the point.

"What I mean to ask is… Should I choose to nurture other people in the hopes that they'll develop the wish to gather as much knowledge as possible or just to… gather knowledge myself and help people in other areas…medicine more exactly."

The Doctor considered her with blue, unmoving eyes. She'd started thinking that maybe she'd offended him somehow. She was about to start apologising when he started talking again.

"I can't answer that for you, Clara, I'm sorry." He looked at her straight in the eye, lowering his cup to his leg. Her heart sank to her stomach, doubts starting to creep in every corner of her body. She supposed it must have showed on her face because the doctor continued almost immediately. "But I can tell you a thing or two, Clara. You see, in the end, the world is still a never ending place. Even the world itself keeps learning, keeps changing. All we can do is try and keep up with it. It's exhausting, frustrating sometimes, maybe even unfulfilling at times. But above else, Clara, it's beautiful. The world, the Universe, the people. It all comes down to the people. Because in the end, it's still the people who push knowledge further and further back, until it needs to show us new sides to it, to keep us interested. Humans are marvellous, don't you think? No matter what happens to them, they bounce back and when they're back on their feet, they're stronger than ever. Now it all comes down to you, Clara. Would you like to help them develop that knowledge or protect the knowledge that resides in everyone? I was on both sides of it and I think you can see which one I've decided it's the best suited for me. You have to decide whether you want to _develop_ or _protect_. Whether you want to be a _teacher_ or a _protector._ And believe it or not, you know the answer to it. You just needed someone you thought qualified enough to tell you the things you already know. I can see you're a very clever person, Clara. Don't doubt yourself. Doubt won't help you down any path you choose."

She stared at him so hard, she was sure she'd bore some invisible holes through him. She wasn't moving and her mind was already going over all the possibilities. She could hear her brain getting fried from all the thoughts she was having at the moment. Everything made sense and no sense at the same time. When she trusted herself enough to speak, it came more confident then she'd expected.

"You're right. Completely, utterly right. Blimey!" Her previous shocked state was quickly dissolving into warmth that engulfed her own being. _Of course._ Of course. _I knew all along. I just didn't trust myself with this decision. But_ he _thinks I'm clever enough to make this decision by myself._ And suddenly, she didn't need anyone else's approval but the Doctor's.

And she'll always remember the way his eyes twinkled, his expression wrinkles appearing playfully around his eyes and his eyebrows raising high in what she thought was _pride_?

And remember she did. Even when John was running towards her, looking more tired and worried than she'd ever seen him. Were she in her normal state of mind, she might've hugged him and told him that she's okay and that she's sorry and end it at that. But just like John had felt earlier that day, she felt as if a huge weight had been lifted and all that remained was _Clara_ and if she were honest with herself, she loved nothing more than she loved _Clara._ But if she were even more honest with herself, she loved _John_ more than she loved _Clara._

So when he finally stopped running and started panting in front of her – from all the running around, she suspected – Clara was not in the least surprised when she touched his shoulders and slowly brought him up to his full height. His eyes were full of fear and love. He looked like he was about to cry.

John sobbed. "Clara…Oh God, my Clara. Don't ever do that to me again. I thought…Oh the horrible images and ideas I got! I thought you got kidnapped or murdered or who knows what else and I-" Another sob got stuck in his throat and it took him a second to be able to talk again, strained as it was. Clara couldn't help but think _I love you, John. I love you so much, you big chinned clever idiot,_ the whole time he tried to talk. "I don't ever want to go through that paralysing fear again. You were gone for a _whole hour_! "

Before she could react, he had an arm around the small of her back, gently moving his hands over her muscles, and his other hand was brought to her face where he stroked her jawline gently. Butterflies erupted in her stomach and she wanted him to be _closer._ She took a small step forward and he took one as well. Their bodies were pressed against each other, both having stupid grins on their faces. She thought he'd _finally_ kiss her when he started leaning in but he just smelled her hair then started pressing soft kissed from the top of her head, to her ear and behind it, down her jaw and finished with her nose. All the while whispering _Clara, my Clara… My brilliant Clara._

She closed her eyes and when she felt John's lips press gently and carefully against her own, Clara slid her arms around his neck and kissed him back fiercely. She thought of his green eyes and light eyebrows and easy smile and how _perfectly_ she fit anywhere in his arms.

Somewhere in the back of her mind there was a flash of blue that seemed to say _I'm proud of you_ and at that moment, Clara felt proud of herself too.


	4. Meals and Contentment

**Author's note at the end of the chapter!**

* * *

Alone.

She was alone again. Clara couldn't remember the last time John was home by the time she got there. _Too long,_ she thought. Standing in the doorway of their two bedroom flat, she could see that all the lights were off, just as they have been every day for the past… who knows how long. She let out a resigned sigh and closed the door slowly behind her. After shrugging off her coat and hanging it, she turned on the lights and made way for the kitchen. She hadn't eaten since that morning and it was almost 9 pm. Starving as she was, Clara was too tired to fix anything more than two sandwiches and a cup of tea. Just as she was about to put the bread in the toaster and her stomach gave an unhappy rumble, she remembered John and how he was always famished when he would finally stumble through the door at stupidly late times in the night. Sometimes he didn't come home until the next day in the morning. He usually called Clara around midnight whenever he thought he'd be at the hospital until morning to tell her to go to sleep without him. The conversations always ended with _'I'm sorry'_ and _'I love you so much'_. Whenever that happened, Clara told him that it was okay and to try and cat nap as often as he could. She could hear the smile in his voice whenever he said _'Of course, of course I'll try, Clara'_ , but she knew he'd never done it. He was too involved and wanted to be alert in case anything happened at the hospital. She _knew_ that he couldn't afford too much rest, but that didn't mean she also had to _like_ it. And she made sure John knew that whenever she'd come home for lunch on the days she knew he was home and found him sprawled on the bed, shoes off but everything else on.

Sighing again – she had been doing a lot of it lately – she tossed the bread back into the bag and went for the fridge again. She was met with an almost empty fridge and frowned. _No eggs, no vegetables, no_ almost _nothing_ , she thought with a frown. There was some beef slices for sandwiches from Sainsbury's, some cheddar from Sainsbury's, milk, broccoli, tomatoes, canned corn and custard. _Custard! Yes, I could work with that. Please please let there be fish fingers in the freezer. Frozen vegetables would be amazing too. Next time you'll want the moon, Clara._ Checking the freezer she let her head drop in defeat . No fish fingers, no vegetables and definitely no moon. Thinking back, she realised that they haven't done proper groceries in ages. During the week they were too tired and busy and the weekends – when John didn't have to be at work – were spent lazily in bed and around the house, relishing in the time they had together.

Any other night she would have given up and texted John that the fridge is empty so he'll have to eat her improvisations. But that day was not a good one for Clara. Not a lot had gone well at the clinic and she just wasn't ready to have this day end with not a single thing gone right. She looked at the clock: 21:14. She grabbed her purse off the table and hurried out of the door, pulling her shoes and coat on in a hurry.

She was already feeling better by the time she got in her car. It felt good to be in control again. The last year had been a jumble of sleepless nights, stress and mayhem so even a little thing such as going grocery shopping on a Wednesday night – when the normal thing to do was to deal with the lack of food and wait for John – gave her a sense of security. She made a mental list of what she wanted to make and then put other essential things besides those. Being almost always pressured for time, she was done with her task in a little over half an hour. There hadn't been any waiting in line either, thankfully. _Maybe I shouldn't have bought so much stuff, though_ , she thought while struggling with keeping everything in her hands on the way to her flat from the car. She wasn't a two-trip kind of person either.

Her heart caught in her throat when she noticed that there were lights on in their bedroom. A huge grin covered her face and she tried to sprint towards the door. Before she could drop the bags in front of the door so that she could open it, John had opened the door enthusiastically.

"Clara!" He exclaimed. "Hi, hello! I was wondering where you were. No bag, no shoes, no coat!" His worried tone was accompanied by a gleeful smile. She couldn't help but just stare at him. It'd been so long since she'd seen another expression on his face except for sleepy or stressed.

"Hi." She said, her heart swelling with happiness.

"Oh, dear. Let me help you with those, Clara." John said as he moved forward to grab all of the bags and carry them easily inside. She followed and closed the door after her for the second time that night, laughing to herself about the difference between them.

"What are you doing home, John? Don't get me wrong, I'm _so happy_ to see you. I truly am. It's just suspicious?" Clara asked, fiddling with the ring on her hand nervously. Sometimes she forgot it even existed so she made sure to check it often.

"There hadn't been any urgent matters to take care of so I asked if I could go home. I'm still on call all night, but hopefully I won't be needed again." He replied. After setting the bags safely on the counters he went over to her and hugged her tightly. "I've missed you, Clara. It's been too long since we've spent a proper weekday night together. "

Clara threw her arms around his neck and hugged him back, hungry for the physical closeness they've been deprived of lately. They sighed in contentment and broke apart just a bit only to come close again, this time in a kiss. It wasn't passionate and it wasn't erotic by any means, but Clara felt her stomach doing summersaults at the feel of John's lips on hers. He tangled his hands in her hair and brought her even closer, deepening the kiss. They stayed like that for a while, lips clashing with each other when John broke the kiss.

She smiled up at him. "I've missed you terribly as well. Too long, indeed."

He kissed the top of her nose and went back to the counters and started taking everything out. "I would've asked why this impromptu grocery shopping trip but I was just checking the fridge when I heard the car drive up." He laughed.

Clara got closer and started unpacking another bag, putting everything in their appropriate places. "Just thought we'd have a proper meal for once."

"What did you have in mind?"

She looked at him grinning "Vegetables with fish fingers and custard".

John's head snapped in her direction and he clapped his hands in front of him. "Fish fingers and custard!" He said and placed a short kiss on Clara's lips. "Brilliant, Clara, brilliant! I've missed fish fingers and custard!"

After dinner was cooked and eaten, they sat on their couch and turned the telly on, more for background noise than anything. They were too caught up in each other, the conversation, slow kisses and gentle touches.

"I'm surprised you didn't rip all of her sprayed hair out!" John laughed.

"You know I would've. She was so _infuriating_. Her son was obviously in need of a trip to the hospital!" Clara said exasperated.

"It's good that you got it all sorted out in the end." He laughed, rubbing Clara's shoulders in the way he always had and which she loved.

"Yeah, thankfully." She turned to face him and put a hand on his thigh, tracing it lightly with her fingers. "Tell me about your day. Enough about my depressing one at work."

"Today's been really quiet, to be honest. Just a few emergencies." He replied, letting his head fall back on the couch.

"That's all? Nothing remotely interesting?" Clara pressed on.

John thought about it for a second before bringing his head back up and smiled deviously at Clara. Her face automatically broke into a smirk of her own. "I know that smirk! Something's happened and you're not telling me. Go on! Out with it." She playfully slapped his thigh.

"Remember when I told you the Doctor was going to Manchester?"

She scooted closer, expectantly. Every mention of the Doctor was bound to be followed by an interesting turn of events. Ever since they've moved to London and John started working as a registrar at Royal London Hospital – something both of them had been wishing for ever since it was announced to the public that the Doctor will start working there – it was inevitable that him and John crossed paths. As luck has it, the Doctor knew exactly who John was – _"Ah! The young man with the bowtie!"_ he had exclaimed with an amused smile – and the two of them hit off right away. _How could they not? The genius and the gifted_ , Clara thought the first time John had come home and told her all about his day with the Doctor. She had to admit she was the tiniest bit jealous.

"Yeah, I remember. World Congress of Neurosurgery, wasn't it?"

"Yes, and guess what!" He asked her excited, grabbing her hands in his.

"I don't know, John! Just tell me! Don't leave me hanging." Clara replied just as giddy, staring into his eyes.

"He asked me if I'd like to come, Clara! He said that he'd proposed it to the head of the Congress and he said yes!"

Clara threw her arms around his neck so hard he stumbled back on the couch. "That's amazing, John! I'm so happy for you! So, so happy!"

He hugged her back and rolled them off the couch, stumbling down with a loud thud. Despite their grunts of pain, they were quick to start laughing at each other.

Clara was the first to stop, only to look him in the eyes lovingly. She caressed his cheek gently. "You're going to be amazing. Just like you usually are."

He smiled at her warmly and put his hand over hers, keeping it in place on his cheek. "That's because I have Clara Oswald supporting me."

"Soon to be Clara _Smith._ " She countered, sticking her tongue out to him.

He dove in and bit her tongue gently. She made an unhappy sound and put her tongue back in her mouth. "Clara _Oswald_ -Smith." He corrected.

She flopped down on his chest suddenly, earning another painful grunt from him. "Still can't figure out why you'd want to be called Oswald-Smith. It's such a _mouthful._ " She said, looking up to him.

John's face broke into a cheeky grin and he wiggled his eyebrows – in what he thought was a seductive way. "You know what else is a _mouthful_?" He asked her.

Clara flirted back. "I know a _couple_ of things that are a mouthful."

"Enough chit-chatting, more snogging, Clara!" He said loudly, sticking his index finger between them like a little child.

She laughed whole-heartedly, got up and made a run for their bedroom. He was right behind her, clothes hastily scattered on the floor, giggles erupting from the inside. There were no calls that night.

* * *

The last time Clara had visited John at the hospital was when she'd gotten a desperate call from one of her patient's mother. She didn't make house calls but the woman was in such a distressed state she couldn't help it. When she saw what state their daughter was in, she couldn't get her head around the fact that they didn't phone the ambulance first.

This time Clara had come on much relaxed terms. She had her purse on a shoulder and a bag in her other hand which contained lunch for her fiancé. She didn't tell him she was coming, of course. She'd made that mistake in the past and he was quick to tell her to not go out of her way for him. After they spend that wonderful night together a week ago, she'd been missing John even more fiercely than before and she had finally worked up the perfect excuse to see him while working.

She made her way to the front desk and smiled at the young receptionist.

"Hello." Clara said.

"Good afternoon, ma'am. How can I help you?" The receptionist smiled back.

"I came to see Dr. John Smith. He's working in the Neurology department. Do you know his exact location at this moment?" she asked.

"Let me check for you. Just a minute."

"Alright, thank you." Clara smiled at the receptionist again and then fiddled with her ring while thinking about how John will react when he sees her and how he'd like to thank her for it. She bit her lip and giggled at the thought of her and John shagging in a hospital cupboard. _Now_ that _would be unprofessional._

"He's on a break right now, ma'am. Unfortunately I don't know where he usually goes in his free time." She told Clara with a shake of her head. Clara's shoulders slumped immediately.

"That's fine, thank you for a time. Have a nice day!" She said before turning away from the desk.

"You too, ma'am."

She walked aimlessly for a couple of minutes, deciding what to do. She could leave the lunch to someone that knew him in the department. She dismissed the idea quickly – she wanted to see John. Her best chance of finding him was to go to his department and hope he's there. She took a turn and went to the lift, tapping her foot impatiently while waiting for it to come down. When it finally did, she hadn't expected so many people to come out and unfortunately, she was right in front of the doors. She lost her balance and had to lean against the wall in order to not fall. She got on after everyone had left and pressed the button. Clara was looking at the clock when she heard someone clearing their throat next to her. She looked up and was surprised to find the Doctor looking down at her.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Oswald. " He said. Clara snapped out of the momentary daze she had found herself in and replied politely back, with a smile tugging at her lips.

"Good afternoon, Doctor."

The doors closed with a _ding_ and she looked around the lift. They were the only ones inside. She turned her head back to the man besides her. "How are you?" She asked, hoping she wasn't too stiff. At that moment she envied the easy-going way John seemed to be talking with the Doctor whenever he'd mention him.

"Oh, I'm doing quite alright. Except for a nagging pain in my right knee that's been coming and going this past week." He replied honestly, turning his head to look at the door. "Yourself?"

"Good." She said fast - maybe a tad too fast - and she repeated herself, insulting the Doctor being the last thing on her mind. "I mean – Yeah, I've been good. Just coming to see John, bring him some lunch. The usual." She laughed nervously and mentally slapped herself for acting like a sixteen year old.

"John? Then why are you going up? John left ten minutes ago to get lunch in the coffee shop." The Doctor stated simply, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

The door opened and she followed the doctor out. Going back down after she'd come all the way up seemed pointless without knowing exactly where she was going. The Doctor waited for her to catch up to him and they walked slowly together.

"Does he usually go there? On his lunch break, I mean." She asked him.

"Not always, but once in a while. John does like spending too much time in here. More than he's needed for." The Doctor smiled but Clara knew it wasn't a condescending one. She could see that he thought John was a precious addition to their team. Clara's chest puffed with pride at that thought. She chose to not let it show.

"Do you know when he'll be back?"

He thought about it for a second. "Could be another ten minutes. I can't say for sure, I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologise, really. Thank you for telling me." Clara told him with a small nod of her head.

"You're welcome." He replied.

They walked in an awkward silence and Clara tried to think of something to talk about. _My mouth goes on and on when it doesn't need to but when_ I'm _the one that wants it to talk, it suddenly closes shut,_ she thought annoyed. Before she could try and talk again, the Doctor stopped. Clara turned back to look at him.

"Would you like to come in? To wait for John." He began.

Clara looked unsure at their surroundings and asked "Come in…where?"

"In the doctors' lounge." He replied with an amused smile and opened a door on his left. "Luckily, there's no one sleeping at the moment."

Going inside and having a cup of tea with the Doctor – _earl grey_ , she remembered – sounded a lot more appealing than going to get John only to maybe walk past each other. She clasped her hands in front of her and took a couple of steps forward. "Yeah, I'd love that. Thank you!" She told him, smiling.

The Doctor gestured her to a chair while he made for the cupboards. "What would you like, Ms. Oswald? There's Earl Grey, Lady Grey and black tea. Of course, there's also coffee if you'd rather have that."

"Lady Grey sounds great." Clara said, taking her coat and muffler off, draping both on the back of the chair. "Also, call me Clara, if you'd like."

The Doctor chuckled but didn't look at her. "Clara, then."

She nodded to herself and looked around the lounge. It wasn't anything special, no decorations around, pretty plain if you'd ask her. But the cots in the corner looked comfortable, as well as the chairs at the table and the couple of arm chairs were a pleasant spot of colour – a deep royal blue - in the otherwise white-grey room. " I've never been in here before. Haven't been in this hospital more than a couple of times, though." She found herself commenting.

"Don't worry, some doctors only come in here to nap when they've been on call for the last two days. " He replied, grabbing the electric kettle and poured water in two mugs.

"What about you, Doctor? Do you spend a lot of time here?" Clara turned her body towards him, watching as he stirred the tea bags before carefully covering them with a small plate each. Her eyes roamed over him, taking in his lean frame and curly white hair. She was curiously calm, standing in the same room with the Doctor as _he_ made her tea. She thought back to the first time she'd met him, she was a ticking bomb, ready to burst with excitement and nerves. Now she just felt at ease. Maybe because John talked about him all the time, telling Clara about the Doctor's personal little quirks and small mistakes he mulled over as if they were the end of the world – she supposed a genius like him almost never made mistakes so they baffled him for a while – or the fact that he and John would have their tea the exact same way: three and a half teaspoons of sugar and a third of the cup whole milk. She never noticed until then, but she'd started regarding the Doctor with the same familiarity as John. Even if they had barely talked once ever since they'd moved.

"Any chance I get, I come here and make myself a nice cup of tea." He said, turning to look at her, arms crossing at his chest. "Helps me make it through the day."

Clara laughed at that. "I know what you mean. Whenever I'm at the clinic, I think I drink at least five cups a day. And that's when it's a good one."

"John did mention you're working at a clinic. Paediatric, right?" He asked, arching his bushy eyebrows just a little. Clara couldn't help but look at the movement. He had some _impressive_ eyebrows.

"Yeah, finally managed to open it." She replied with a sense of pride. Clara _was_ quite proud of themselves, thank you very much.

The Doctor turned back to the mugs and lifted the plates, putting them in the sink. "John never mentioned it was yours. Sugar, milk?"

Clara fumbled with her ring again. "Can't blame him. You already have your heads full of other things over here. Two teaspoons and two of milk."

"You'd be surprised to find that John mostly talks about you when we're on breaks together, then." He laughed as he turned to give her the mug. She smiled appreciatively and took a small sip.

"It's perfect. " She said.

He smiled at her, his expression wrinkles gathering around his eyes. "Why, thank you, Clara." He sipped from his mug as well.

They sat in silence, both of them absorbed in their own thoughts. Clara's mind drifted over John's sudden idea of opening her _own_ clinic. He brought up the subject a few days after Clara's official end of her schooling. _"I know it's crazy, but I think it'll suit you better than the hospital."_ He'd said. At the time, her ego suffered a big punch because she imagined he thought she wouldn't be able to take the pressure. _"I don't know if you realise, John, but opening a clinic is highly expensive and complicated."_ She had crossed her arms over her chest, and looked at him incredulous. _"Do you think I wouldn't be able to handle it? I'm supposed to start next week, you know."_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of water starting. The Doctor was washing his mug. "If you're finished, I can rinse yours out as well." He'd offered.

Clara looked down at her mug, not surprised to find it empty. "Oh no, Doctor. I couldn't." She started towards the sink but the Doctor grabbed the mug swiftly from her hands before giving her playful smile.

"It's just a mug, Clara." He laughed and she realised with a start that the Doctor had _teased_ her.

"Yes, but it's _my_ mug." She replied, her own smile spreading.

"Actually…" he started, squinting one eye in a way that made him look uncomfortable. "It's the hospital's mug. And if I'm not wrong, I'm part of the staff." He finished with a laugh.

Clara leaned against the counter, admitting defeat. "Next time, I'll wash my mug." She told him, pointing in his direction with her index finger. "No room for argument!" She said as soon as he wanted to say something back.

The Doctor shook his head and wiped his hands on a kitchen towel. "Letting you wash your own mug doesn't seem like quite a fair price for your company."

Clara's heart skipped a beat and she could feel her eyes widen. _Did he just- No. But it sounded like – NO, Clara. You're being utterly stupid._ Of course _that wasn't what you thought it was._ She gave a nervous chuckle, hoping it didn't sound as strained as she thought it was.

She quickly turned the conversation around. "John told me you offered him a place at the Congress in Manchester. He was elated when he finally told me!" Clara said, her excitement at the prospect growing.

The Doctor took a seat in the chair across from her. "I did. I thought it was only fair he got to come. I'm sure he doesn't tell you a lot at home, Clara, but he's the most capable neurosurgeon I've seen in the last twenty years." He leaned back in his chair and brought his hands together in his lap.

"He talks about work, but he keeps a lot for himself. I can see he doesn't want to see me worrying – Sometimes…sometimes he comes home with this dejected look on his face. That's when I know he failed to save someone." She leaned back in her chair, just like the Doctor had and she exhaled a breath she didn't know was holding and then looked back up. "John's _meant_ to do this. I don't mean neurosurgery especially, I mean medicine. And I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who's acknowledged that." She finished with a small smile.

The Doctor shifted in his seat. "Stay assured, I'm not the only one who's noticed. If everything goes well at this Congress, he will get a lot of exposure. Not just a gifted doctor in a hospital, anymore." He laughed again and scratched the side of his head briefly. "If you ask me, I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I've never been good at it. All this…spotlight thing."

It was Clara's turn to laugh. She leaned her elbows on her legs and said "I beg to differ. Yes, you might be slightly tense, but you act as if you're up those podiums all day, _every_ day. " She threw her hands up in front of her and said confidently. "Seems to _me_ like _you_ 've been made for the _podium_."

The door burst open and John came through the door just in time to hear Clara's last comment.

"Aha! That's what I keep telling him, Clara." John said loudly, rubbing his hands together. "He never listens, never! Keeps saying he's an old man who needs to stay cooped up in the hospital."

Clara laughed and then faked an offended look toward the Doctor. "Rubbish!"

"I know!" He whined – _adorably_ , according to Clara – and walked towards them. "That's two against one, Doctor." He told the Doctor, straightening his bowtie with a smug grin on his face.

The Doctor raised his hands above his head in surrender. "Alright, alright. You got me, John. I'm a superstar."

John grinned at him and then bent down to give Clara a kiss on her forehead. "You were the last person I expected to see inside having a _comfortable_ chat with the Doctor."

It was the Doctor's turn to feign indignation now. "Are you insinuating my company is anything less than absolutely brilliant?"

"Of course not! We all know you're amazing company…when you're not doing the whole 'brooding genius' thing!" John told him.

"And you do that mad scientist, hands rubbing thing!" The Doctor teased back.

"You actually do that!" laughed Clara brightly.

"Yes. Well." John started, scratching his chin. "I suppose I do – but not just like a mad scientist."

"And you're also walking as if you're in continuous amazement of your own limbs." Clara went on, a childish glint in her eyes.

The Doctor's laugh was hearty and entertained. "Oh, she got you there, John."

"Can we stop talking about the way I decide to control my limbs for a moment?"

"Oh, for sure. I believe that would be a very inappropriate topic to talk about right now." Replied the Doctor.

John flushed red and resorted to straightening his bowtie again. Clara and the Doctor exchanged glances and chuckled and John's embarrassment was growing. The moment ended when the Doctor got up from his chair.

"Well, my break's over. I'll be going to see if there was a disaster while I've been here, drinking tea and teasing my most reliable colleague. Together with his fiancé, no less." He addressed them.

Clara got up and took one of his hands in both of her. "It was a pleasure talking to you, Doctor. And contrary to popular belief – " She threw John an amused smile "- I think you're _amazing_ company. Hopefully we'll get more occasions like this." She told him sincerely.

The Doctor put his other hand on top of her and shook them gently. "It was my pleasure, Clara." He said and let her hands drop and then turned to John to pat his shoulder in a friendly manner. " I'll see you when you're done here, John. Enjoy your lunch. _Finally._ " The Doctor whispered the last word with a smirk and left the room.

"Thanks, Doctor!" He told him as he left the room. He turned to Clara and his expression was one of mild confusion. "How did he know I didn't – " But he stopped when he looked at Clara. His confusion was quickly replaced by embarrassment.

Clara had an idea about what happened. Resting her hand on her hip she looked at John disapprovingly, piercing him with a stare. She didn't even need to say anything because John's stomach started rumbling right then. He gave her a sheepish look.

"I kind of… didn't have lunch in my… lunch… break?" He squeaked laughing nervously.

Shaking her head and clacking her tongue, Clara retrieved the bag in which she brought John's lunch. "Luckily for you, I'm here to save the day."

John's face broke into a huge grin and he grabbed her by the waist with both hands. "You're always there to save the day, Clara Oswald!"

"Save you, more like it." She laughed and raised her head to kiss him.

John lowered his lips on her, happily accepting the attention. "I'm happy being saved by you, any day."

* * *

 **Hey everyone! This time I'm back with the fastest update I've ever had until now. *laughs* This chapter's 5k words instead of 7k, but I think I'd rather update more frequently than have more words. If you want it the other way around, let me know and I'll see what I can do!**

 **Also, I have research for this chapter, regarding how medicine works in the UK (slightly different than in my home country), but if you notice I've done any mistakes, please let me know. I haven't been able to find anything regarding** _ **where**_ **doctors actually spend their time in the hospital, but I suspect they have their own lounge, where they can eat their meals and sleep when needed, right? If you know these things better, again, please let me know so I can fix this issue.**

 **As a side note, in this chapter both John and Clara are 29. John's two years into specialist training as a Registrar and has a couple more to go. As for Clara, she's been a full fledge paediatrician for a year now, having completed her internship a year ago. Both of them started Undergraduate study at 19. I hope that makes sense!**

 **Until next time, lovelies!**


	5. Roses and Pillows

**A/N at the end of the chapter.**

* * *

"Rose, for the last time – I did _not_ meet David Tennant."

" _I know you're lying, Clara! Him and the Doctor are best friends, aren't they? I'm betting on my job – not that it's an amazing one – that you got at least a conversation out of that hunk."_

"No! I didn't! I've literally not exchanged a single word with him since I've been to the hospital on Thursday." Clara replied her friend with an exasperated sigh.

For the last four days – ever since Clara had excitedly let it slip that she had a proper conversation with the Doctor – Rose had assaulted her with texts, calls and even emails about the _possibility_ of Clara having talked with Rose's decade-long celebrity crush: David Tennant. At first, Clara had teased her about the prospect that it wasn't a celebrity crush anymore and that it was the Universe's way of telling Rose they were meant for each other. Ten calls and countless messages later, it started to annoy Clara. She wasn't able to do anything for a long period of time because her phone would notify her that she had yet another message. This particular time was the worst one of them all. It was Sunday morning and both her and John were sprouting a particularly horrifying hangover.

" _Oh,_ fine _. I guess I have to believe you."_ Rose replied, her tone absent and not present in the conversation anymore.

"It only took four days and thousands of texts and calls later for you to acknowledge that." Clara said. Her friend's tone worried her so she started getting up. Giving a positively miserable John a kiss on his forehead she made way for the kitchen. She really needed a glass of water and an aspirin.

"Now that we've got that out of the way, what's up? Y'alright?" She asked Rose while pulling her bathrobe over her half naked body.

" _Nothing's wrong, Clara. I was just genuinely interested to see if you achieved what I've been fantasizing for the last 15 years."_ Rose replied.

That didn't impress Clara at all. She knew when one of her best friends was having a rough day. It was a skill Clara had picked up early on. After all, she was the peace maker in their group ever since primary – she had to know how to deal with everyone's problems and insecurities. That particular detail earned her the title of No. 1 Bossy Control Freak of Blackpool from Amy. A nickname everyone had agreed with at some point or another.

"Rose, we've been over this countless of times before. Out with it." She persisted, balancing her phone between her shoulder and ear and pouring herself a glass of water.

" _There's nothing to get_ out, _Clara."_ Rose replied, her voice cracking the slightest. Clara smiled – she had Rose now.

"Rose." Was all that she settled on, carefully choosing a motherly tone. Rose had a soft spot for motherly tones.

There was a small silence on the other end of the phone. Clara patiently waited for Rose to say something. Finally, her friend sighed a small, pathetic breath.

" _I got fired from my job."_ Was her reply.

Clara had to stop herself from exhaling a very frustrated breath. She knew Rose had a problem with getting jobs and an even bigger problems with keeping them. The only time she had ever told Rose – in a fit of fury after her friend told her she's moving in with another asshole in another town – that it was that Jimmy guy's fault for getting her drop out of school that had this massive and atrocious chain reaction in her life. The outcome of that outburst was the first time Clara had seen Rose properly cry. It left such a gaping hole in her chest that she vowed to never mention it again, no matter what.

So she swallowed whatever frustration she was harbouring and smiled, as if Rose could see her and find reassurance.

"It's okay, Rose. We'll get through this. We always do, don't we?"

" _Oh, Clara. You don't get it. Without that job I'm… I'm pretty much fucked."_ Replied Rose, her voice shaking slightly.

"No you're not." Snapped Clara. She scratched the back of her head and started pacing nervously around the living room. "Why are you saying that?"

" _I'm two months behind with rent, Clara. The only reason that old lecher hasn't thrown me out is because he gets to stare at my boobs every time he comes by to ask if I'm ready to pay yet! And he does that every day, Clara. Every. Freaking. Day!"_ Rose's tone went from nervous to an angry one for a split of second, obviously disturbed by what she had to go through.

" _God. I'm such a fuck up, Clara. Look at me! I'm forced to endure old perverts stare at me with drool at their mouth because I can't keep a bloody job!"_ She groaned and Clara heard the distinct sound of bone being slammed on a surface.

"I know it looks bad, Rose. Really, it always looks grim after you lose a job-" she started.

" _You're_ not _helping, Clara."_ Rose groaned again and there was another thud.

"I would be, if you'd let me talk." Clara scolded her, finally stopping and sitting down on a stool. "Can't you go stay with your mom?"

" _My mom moved in with her boyfriend a couple of weeks ago…"_

Clara bit her lip. Jackie moving in with her boyfriend was the last thing she had anticipated. Her head was swarming with possible ideas to solve Rose's dilemma. Mickey? No, he lived in Cardiff with his girlfriend. Pretty sure she wouldn't take kindly to him letting his ex live with them. Amy and Rory? No, out of question. The sexual tension between those two drove Clara crazy in the _single_ week she lived with them _two years ago._ Now it would probably take a day for Rose to get fed up.

"Then how about us?" Clara blurted out before actually thinking it through. But now that she had said it, it suddenly seemed like a brilliant idea. _Why hadn't I thought of that before?!_ , she thought.

"You? As in you and John?" Rose sounded reluctant but the desperation cracked between the words.

"Yeah, me and John. You could come down here and have the guest bedroom!" Clara replied happily, the idea growing on her rapidly. She hadn't seen Rose in so long and their little group scattered all over the country with very few opportunities to see each other at all. She missed her crazy best friends so much and she knew John did, too.

" _Clara, I don't know…"_ Rose started but stopped briefly, as if to gather her thoughts. _"You and John have been engaged for a long time now. We were hoping you'd get married soon. Don't get me wrong, I love both of you, I really do. But not enough to go through your honeymoon phase and hear you shagging each other every night!"_ Rose erupted in laughter and Clara followed suit.

"Oh, come on! It's not going to be _that_ bad!" she replied, her laughter dawdling to giggling. "Besides, we're too busy to get married any time soon. And by the time we do, you'll have another job and your own place." Clara persisted, hoping Rose would stop being so damn considerate and just come live with them. She waited patiently on the phone while Rose wasn't saying anything. Of course, Clara Oswald wasn't the most patient person when it came to her friends and let's not forget that Clara Oswald always got what she wanted in the end. Even if it needed a little emotional manipulation on her side. _Old habits die hard._ She bit her lip once more, this time smiling.

"Please, Rose! Do I have to beg you? I've been missing you guys _so_ much. How long has it been since we've seen each other? Almost two years? That's _insane_. Please make me a happy froggy and come live with us?!" Clara told Rose in the sweetest tone she could muster. She even used the nickname she hated with a passion but one she knew her friend secretly liked.

Clara could practically see the ends snap in Rose's head as she replied loudly and eagerly _"Oh, what the hell! Clara Oswald, you and John Smith ready yourselves. Rose Tyler is coming to town!"_

* * *

John was obviously thrilled of the idea of Rose coming down to live with them, as Clara knew he would. If there was a person that loved Rose almost as much as Clara and Jackie did, that was John. He'd taken to her as a duck to water from the moment they exchanged a few words. What Clara mistook at first as love at first sight, was actually John's natural response to Rose's motherly way of being. His mother hadn't been a constant and warm person in his life so he couldn't help but love Rose. It took Clara a long time, many sleepless nights full of overthinking and a couple psychology books to figure that one out.

"Brilliant idea, Clara!" He had said, a tad too loudly for his still hung over self. Wincing at his own voice, he went over to Clara and hugged her tightly. "It'll be so good to see Rose after so long. I've quite missed her." He told her, smirking as if the results were his merit.

Clara poked his chest with her index lightly. "Oh, I know you did, mister! Go take a shower, you'll be late for work. We don't want the hospital to explode without Dr. Smith there, do we now?" She teased him, smirking right back at him.

John laughed and bent down to give her a kiss on the forehead. "I get it: alcohol breath. I'm going!" he left and Clara heard the water running soon after.

While John was showering, Clara dressed herself – she had already showered and brushed her teeth while John was sleeping in – and busied herself with making breakfast. There wasn't enough time to cook anything amazing but she managed to make two portions of scrambled eggs, bacon and fried bread by the time John was ready to go. She found that she didn't mind that he had to work that afternoon as much as she would have usually. They were both still elated at the idea of Rose living with them for a while and maybe even deciding to remain in London.

After she sent John off with a kiss and an 'I love you', Clara went to check the state their guest bedroom was in. What she found wasn't much worse than she had expected. After all, the last time they opened that guest bedroom was when they moved in the scarce furniture. The mattress still had the protective foil on.

With nothing else left to do for the remaining of the day, Clara set to make the bedroom sparkle with cleanliness. She drew the curtains and opened the window so that the room could lose some of the stale smell it had acquired. The air was a bit too cold for her skimpy pyjamas so she draped one of John's hoodies over her head and dragged a pair of soft leggings on. She dusted every piece of furniture, the window, the door and every little corner of the ceiling before vacuuming the carpet floor thoroughly. She got rid of the plastic packaging from the mattress and after making sure it didn't smell oddly, she went and chose brown striped beddings to cover it with. Clara realised with a grunt that they didn't have any extra duvet or pillows to prepare for Rose. She thought about whether it was a good idea to get them now, before knowing exactly when Rose would be coming. Clara decided that she'd get there by tomorrow evening or Tuesday. Her best friend just couldn't handle old perverts. If Clara knew her at all, she was pretty sure Rose was already packing, thinking of ways to get away as fast as possible.

Clara was smiling to herself about her _fantastic_ cleaning skills when she heard her phone ring. She made a beeline for it and wasn't surprised to see that it was Rose calling her. She answered promptly.

"Hey, Rose. What's up?" She said nonchalantly.

" _Would it be completely horrible of me if I told you I'm almost done packing and most probably will sneak out into the night to leave Landlord the Creep to find his apartment empty in the morning? And that I'll most probably be there by midnight?"_ Rose told her in a breath, giggling like an excited teenager that was about to sneak out of the house to go to a party. Clara found herself grinning widely and giggling alongside with her.

"If I wasn't your destination point, I'd come with you!" she said and Rose erupted in another fit of laughter. "If you manage to get an even earlier train, we can surprise John when he gets back from work." Clara said, snickering. Not only would she get to see her best friend faster, but she'd get to surprise John as well – something she hadn't done in a while.

" _Clara, you've got yourself a deal! I'll let you know when I'll need picking up."_ Rose told Clara.

"Your chauffeur will be thrilled to be of service!" was Clara's reply before they both hung up. _Maybe I don't know her as well as I thought._ Clara was thinking to herself as she retreated back into her bedroom to get dressed.

After a quick search on Google, Clara drove to the fanciest place for buying duvets and pillows. Rose wasn't picky about those kind of things, but Clara would be damned if she wouldn't try to make her stay as comfortable as possible. She was happy now that John had insisted they buy both beds the really expensive, soft, moulding-to-your-body kind of mattresses. It was only fair that the duvet and pillows were up to par.

When she entered the shop, a middle aged woman with a homely face greeted her and asked if she needed assistance.

"I'm looking for a duvet and a couple of pillows." She told her.

"We have a very broad variety for both. Do you have anything specific in mind? Such as a brand." The woman – Katherine, her tag said – told her kindly.

"I'm not sure… Haven't really thought about it. I just know I want them to be as comfortable as possible." She told her, fiddling with her ring, hoping the variety wasn't _too_ broad. She didn't have time to mull over all the possible details of every duvet and pillow.

"That already narrows it down, dear!" Katherine gave a polite laugh. "Would you like to see the Classic, Superior or Luxury items?

Clara was already starting to feel overwhelmed. " Superior and… Luxury, I suppose?" she managed to say, uncertainly.

Katherine walked her to the left of the shop and showed her everything briefly. "There's the anti-allergy products, the synthetic and natural filling items…" and she kept going on about specifications Clara wasn't sure was understanding rightly. After Katherine left her alone in the middle of the aisle, she stared at price tags and the tags on every item with no success.

"I'll die in the middle of a duvet and pillow aisle that is so white it could pass as a hospital. How fitting." She commented to herself.

"Nothing wrong with white, is there, Clara?" a low, scruffy voice replied back. She could feel her ears getting hotter when she realised somebody heard her. She turned her head in the direction of the voice and was pleasantly surprised to see the Doctor a bit further down. His hair and fair complexion blended well with their surroundings. Clara thought that you could pass by him without noticing, if it wasn't for his blue plaid trousers and red rimmed coat. _A spot of colour in an otherwise plain room._ Clara thought to herself, making the connection between him and the doctors' lounge.

"Doctor!" she exclaimed, walking towards him hurriedly. "This is a surprise. Of all the places I'd have thought we'd meet…" she said and gestured with her hands to their surroundings "I have to admit this wasn't even on the list." Clara laughed.

The Doctor chuckled and turned his attention back to the tags on the shelves. "Can't say I've thought it likely, either. Looking for a new duvet?" He asked, throwing her a side glance before grabbing a pillow and testing it with his palm.

Clara sighed and turned dejectedly to the pillows as well. "My best friend's coming to live with us and we don't have any spares. I wanted to buy something of quality, but…" She sank her face in her hands. "I'm no good at this stuff. John's the one who chose ours. Now that I think about it, I should have just checked what brand they were. Ugh!" Clara exclaimed and slightly hit her forehead with the back of her hand.

The Doctor watched her amused and gave her a smile. "Didn't Katherine help you out? She's usually very pleased to help out customers."

"Kat-? Oh, you mean the saleswoman. Yeah she was…nice enough. Kept going about all these specifications I know _nothing_ about." She replied.

"That's weird. She always helped me find the perfect pillows I needed." The Doctor told her, scratching his chin.

Clara gave him a smug smirk and faked a sudden interest in the material of the pillow in front of her. "Oh, really? My, wonderful woman, she is. Right, Doctor?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I suppose she is. What's with that look, Clara?"

She turned her back to him and went further down the aisle. "Nothing, Doctor. I was just thinking that poor Katherine over there has been _definitely_ waiting for you to ask her out to dinner for some time, now." It was her turn to throw him a side glance before returning her attention to a random item on the shelf.

"Don't be ridiculous." He scoffed. Katherine is at least ten years younger than I am." He said. Clara turned to him, ready to tell him that age is just a shitty number when he started again. "And. And she's recently divorced. Quite a nasty affair."

Clara stared at him unmoving, trying to figure it out. To her, age had never been a problem if there was love between two people. So when she met someone that was so caught up in their idea that age actually _was_ a very important factor, she couldn't help but pity them a bit.

"You're doing the thing again." He said.

"What thing?" Clara replied, a bit absent minded.

"The thing with your eyes. Getting all big and looking through your soul, thing." He gestured to her face with both his hands, wiggling his fingers. Clara laughed at his body language.

"Oh, _that_ thing?" she shrugged. "My friends used to call me 'Froggy' when we were small. I have abnormal big eyes and sometimes I make them even wider without noticing." Clara confessed.

The Doctor looked positively bewildered, his eyebrows knitting together and his mouth hanging the tiniest bit open. "Why would anyone compare you to a frog? Frogs are weird and not useful and _green_. Whereas you're quite lovely – when you want to – and not green. Quite pink, actually."

Clara had to stifle a laugh at the way he moved his body: somehow rigidly but still very expressive at the same time, while keeping his expression intact. "So, maybe like a dog?" She offered.

The Doctor seemed to think it through. "A dog, yes. That could work. A very pink, hairless dog. And small. A Chihuahua sounds like the perfect breed."

Clara couldn't hold her laughter anymore. "A Chihuahua? Really? Is that the best you could come up with?"

She could see a smile tugging at his lips, but not quite reaching it's potential. "I think it's quite accurate."

"Of course it is, Doctor. Then I suppose you're a poodle. Looking at your white skin and fluffy, curly hair you're sprouting. Let's not talk about that tall, skinny built you have." She retorted back, enjoying their banter and forgetting her task completely.

"Poodles are quite the graceful breed. I might just accept the comparison."

"They're also considered the posh and arrogant dogs." She reminded him with a wiggle of her finger and a slow shake of her head.

"People do say I can be quite arrogant. I'm not sure about posh. I've never been too keen on that word." He made an uncomfortable face at that word. "Well, except maybe when it comes to mattresses and pillows. I do need good support during the night."

His comment reminded her suddenly as to why she was actually in that store, bantering with the Doctor – and _enjoying_ it. She clasped her hands loudly together in front of her. "Ah, _shit_. I forgot about the pillows and duvet."

"Colourful language in a colourless store!" He commented. "Also, quite hard to forget when you're surrounded by them." The Doctor laughed.

"Half an hour later and I still have no idea what to buy." She said, turning her attention back to the shelves reluctantly.

"I could help you choose, if you'd like. I need to change mine every half a year so I know a bit about these things." He offered with a genuine tinkle in his eyes. Clara was fast to accept his help.

"Really?! You'd help me so much. I'll be forever indebted to you, Doctor." she told him, gratefully.

"No problem at all. I'll do my best." He smiled down at her.

With the Doctor's help, Clara was able to choose a heavenly duvet and deliciously comfortable pillows. He told her they were anti allergy, had natural fillings and retained warmth but not sweat. That sounded like the perfect combination to Clara. At the end of the day, they were supposed to be fluffy and soft, just how Rose liked them.

After they both paid their items – the Doctor bought some really expensive, firm but not hard pillows, perfect for his back – he helped her carry them to her car, her little arms too short to be able to carry the voluminous items on her own.

"Thanks for you help, Doctor. I would have died in there if it weren't for you." Clara told him as she closed her trunk. "How can I make it up to you? First the mug and now carrying my stuff for me – I think you deserve a really nice cup of coffee, at the very least." She smiled broadly at him, crossing her arms in front of her chest and leaning on the car.

The Doctor clasped his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky before looking down to meet Clara's eyes. "Anybody decent would have done those things, Clara. You don't need to repay me in any way. Just the thought that I helped you is a reward in itself." He replied earnestly.

Clara could see he was uncomfortable. She couldn't say why, but she thought it must be because of his job or past, somehow. She couldn't imagine what he was uncomfortable about, so she just pressed on.

"Well, like it or not, I'd like to get you coffee as thanks. Think about it as a way of me not stressing over how I'm going to thank you for helping me when I get back at home. How does that sounds?" She offered him.

He inhaled a sharp and long breath and made the 'uncomfortable face' – as she came to call it – and knew she had him cornered. Finally, he gave her a half smile.

"I suppose a cup of coffee or tea won't hurt anyone, will it?"

Clara could feel herself grinning. Locking her car and throwing her keys in her purse, she went back to the Doctor's side. "There was a café, just down the road. Looked pretty cosy and the kind of place that would have good, homemade drinks. Do you have time to go now? I don't have to be home for another hour or two."

He looked at the clock and gave her a nod. "I'm working the night shift so I still have a few hours left as well. Now sounds as a great time as any. Lead the way, Clara!"

He playfully put out his arm as a sign for her to take it, but not expecting her to. So when she actually linked her arm with his – happily – and not just slap his shoulder, the Doctor was a bit surprised, to say, but not in a bad way. Clara was just happy he had accepted her offer and the Doctor content that he hadn't scared the young woman off – he had a tendency to ramble and jest and not everyone took kindly to that.

* * *

"So you're saying you didn't want to open your own clinic?" The Doctor asked Clara over coffee. They had found their way to the little café Clara had talked about eventually, after getting lost for fifteen minutes.

"No – I mean, yes. I mean, no. Not at the beginning. It just seemed too much work for someone who just graduated, you know? I had a secured position after graduation at the hospital I had my training at, so taking that risk seemed kind of pointless." Clara told him, gently stirring the extra packet of sugar in her coffee.

"It's understandable. Opening a clinic isn't something fresh graduates think of doing. But I don't think John had ever meant to imply that you wouldn't be able to take the pressure at the hospital. He always talks about you as if you could handle the whole world on your shoulders if you put your mind to it." The Doctor offered her along with a reassuring smile and a pat on her hand.

Clara smiled and her cheeks tinted at the notion that John boasted about her in his workplace. She was always pleased whenever he would let her know how proud he was. "I know that now. But at the time it just seemed like it did. John's a very gifted doctor so I suppose I might have been feeling inferior for a second there. As stupid as it might sound." She told him, sitting back in her chair and taking a sip of her coffee.

"Now that's just rubbish. You don't have any reason to feel inferior to John. Yes, he is a very gifted Doctor, I won't deny that. But it doesn't make you a worse doctor by association. If you ask me, I think you're remarkable, Clara. You and John went through a lot of changes in a very short period of time and you did it impressively."

Clara could feel her smile spreading so she attempted to hide it by taking another sip, afraid of coming across as conceited. The truth was that she was glowing at the prospect of the Doctor telling her she was a _good_ doctor. If it weren't for the fact that they had actually been spending the last hours together, she might have believed that she was having a very believable dream.

"Thank you, Doctor. That's very kind of you to say." She told him brightly.

The Doctor smiled and took a sip of his own drink before saying. "I have to say, this coffee really is good. You have an eye for these things. I wouldn't have thought of coming in here on my own."

At that she straightened herself and rested her elbows on the table. " A few years ago, neither would have I. But I decided the best places were the one you discovered yourself. No more mediocre Starbucks and infernal queues for me. Now it's all about these places." She gestured around with her finger, without moving her arms from the table.

"Adventure, I see." The Doctor replied. "Ever thought of travelling, Clara?" He inquired.

"Oh, yes! Many times!" Clara said. " I actually…I have a book from my mum. It's called '101 Places to See'. She used to read it to me every night to bed. Chose a place at random and she'd talk to me about it until I fell asleep." Clara smiled at the memory of falling asleep in Ellie's arms while her head was filled with wonders. "My childhood was full of adventure and quests and gorgeous views. All because my mom was there to tell it to me all. My dad joined in when he could. He'd listen to mum tell those stories together with me and he'd whisper little jokes at which we'd try to laugh discreetly – we never quite managed it." Clara looked down at her cup and rolled it around in her hands.

"Where are they now?" the Doctor asked and Clara looked up at him. "Your parents, I mean. Back in Blackpool, I suppose?"

Clara took a moment to study his face but couldn't see anything except for genuine interest. It had been years since she'd last talked about this with anyone, but she felt the Doctor would understand. "My mom died when I was 21. Car crash, the doctors said it was a quick, painless death. As if that helped with anything." She scoffed shortly before coughing. "Sorry, I guess that's a bit ironic seeing as we're both those doctors now. Telling people meaningless things to try to make them feel better about their losses. But it's never truly alright. Not really." She looked into the Doctor's eyes and Clara could feel her eyes getting wet without her consent. Eight years later and she still teared up. She wondered if she'd ever stop.

When the Doctor grabbed one of her hands and smoothed his thumb over the top of it reassuringly, she had to look down otherwise she would have actually started to cry. She heard the Doctor start talking again. "I'm sorry for your loss, Clara. You're right. We never truly get over it, not really. And maybe we do have to say some meaningless things to people. But those meaningless things might actually mean the world to someone. Just how some deep and logical things would be meaningless to some. We're here to offer support, but we can't choose who actually accepts it. I'm sorry you couldn't find reassurance in the doctor's words at the time."

When she looked back up at him, her eyes weren't glazed anymore and the Doctor was glad for it. He couldn't place why, but he didn't want to see her cry. At least not in front of him. It might have been the fact that crying was such an intimate act that he didn't see himself as a fitting person to witness her in a vulnerable state. No, that was John's privilege.

"Thank you, Doctor. _Your_ words helped me, so I suppose it all worked out in the end." She gave him a small smile and he found himself offering an even bigger one in return, her words reassuring him.

"Any time, Clara." He told her.

There was a small silence before she started talking again, right after the Doctor had retreated his hand back from hers. "My dad is still in Blackpool. He hasn't been the same since mum died. Sometimes I think I was lucky for that accident to happen when it happened. If it happened while I was a teenager, I'm sure I would have felt neglected." She started and looked at the Doctor to make sure he wasn't getting the wrong idea. "Don't get me wrong, Doctor. My dad was a wonderful man – he still is, really. He's getting better and better. But ever since the accident, it's been hard for him to show any feelings except for remorse and sorrow. He still went to work and did all of his routine, but his life essence seemed to be non-existent. Me and John lived with him for a while during summer break, to make sure he'd be fine and because I needed him. But after two months we realised that I wasn't helping him and he wasn't helping me. We could see it in his eyes that I was a constant reminder, as if his memories weren't enough."

"So you left." The Doctor added.

"We did. We had to go back to University, anyway. But I think it helped him. We talked more than when we lived together. So _that_ worked out as well, in the end." She finished with a genuine smile and another sip of her coffee.

"Things do tend to work in strange ways. The Universe never really works out in the way you want it to. Almost never does. But almost always works out better than you thought initially."

Clara smiled at that. "Yeah, I believe so, too."

There wasn't any time to say anything else because Clara's phone had started to ring. It was a comforting tune that reminded the Doctor of Christmas, somehow. It blended really well with the mood they found themselves in and they started at each other smiling before Clara realised that she should be taking that call. Excusing herself from the Doctor, she answered.

" _Clara! I'm two hours away from London so you better be waiting me with a big plate of fish and chips because this Tyler is starving!"_ Rose's voiced boomed happily from the other side of the phone.

Clara laughed at the enthusiasm her friend was displaying. "Got away unnoticed then, have we? She told her friend, turning her cup around.

" _You bet I did! Nobody sneaks better than me. Remember I did gymnastics – "_

"Yes, yes. We all know you won a medal, Rose!" Clara laughed and looked at the Doctor who was politely looking away, looking interested in the table next to them. "But yes, you can expect those fish and chips."

" _Brilliant. I'll be seeing you soon, then!"_ said Rose before hanging up.

Clara smiled for a second to her phone between sticking it to her chest, face down and addressing the Doctor. "That was my friend. Rose. She's two hours away from London."

The Doctor took the last sip from his coffee and Clara followed suit. "Let's get going, then. Wouldn't want to leave her waiting!" They grinned at each other, put their coats on to protect themselves from the cold and went out.

When they reached their cars, they were laughing about a situation Rose had gotten herself in once. Soon, it was time to part and Clara found that she didn't want to just yet. Unfortunately, she had no choice. She had a little over an hour and a half to get home, get everything ready and then get Rose.

"I enjoyed this afternoon, Clara. Your company really is top notch – when you want it to be." The Doctor jested.

Clara slapped his shoulder playfully. "Oi! I could say the same for you, Doctor! You're not _completely_ horrible." They exchanged one last laugh before the Doctor started talking again.

"Well, I'll be going - " he was cut short by Clara hugging his waist tightly. Unfortunately, the Doctor wasn't a person that dealt with that kind of affection too much so he was at a loss to what to do. He settled on keeping his arms at a weird angle above her shoulders, not actually touching Clara.

"Thank you for today, Doctor. For helping me carry my stuff _and_ for your kind words. " She whispered before letting go.

He lowered his arms and scratched his head awkwardly. "You're welcome, Clara."

"See you, Doctor. Good luck at work tonight!" was the last thing Clara said before hurrying to her car and driving off, leaving a baffled Doctor behind.

* * *

When Clara saw Rose making her way to her she couldn't help but start sobbing. The sight of the blonde head and day-brightening smile was enough to bring her to tears. And it seemed that Rose was overcome with the same feelings because by the time they engulfed each other in a bear hug, both girls were sobbing into each other's shoulders.

"Oh, _Clara_. I've _missed_ _you_. You little, pretty thing." Rose said, wiping at her eyes and keeping Clara at arms length, looking her up and down. "You look amazing, you do! _Doctor_ Oswald is hot!" Rose joked and Clara flung her arms around the taller girl's neck again.

"Oh, shut it. Miss blonde heart breaker! I've missed you, too. _A lot_." Clara gave a laugh and squeezed tighter before letting go and plating a kiss on her cheek.

"Good thing we're not into each other because other people might think something else is going on." Rose said, wiggling her eyebrows and giving Clara her trademark tongue between lips smile.

Clara put a hand on her hip and with the other pointed at Rose. "I did tell you I had a huge crush on you when we were thirteen, though." At that Rose laughed and linked her arm with Clara's in the same way Clara had linked her with the Doctor's. Clara smiled at the memory.

"You have fabulous tastes in women but _horrible_ in men." Rose stated as they each carried a trolley to the car.

"Oi! I'm engaged to John." She replied.

"My affirmation still stands!" Rose said but Clara shot her a dirty look. Rose laughed "Alright, alright. Mr. Smith is a good lay!" Rose screamed the last sentence loud and clear. It resounded in the whole car park.

"I've missed your loud mouth as well. As surprising as that sounds." Clara told Rose when she got in the passenger's seat.

"Believe me, I know. How? Because I've missed your control freak personality and bossy attitude as well." Rose gave Clara a wink and positioned herself better in the seat.

Clara looked at Rose and her chest swelled with happiness at the sight of her best friend on the passenger's seat, with her eyes closed, looking at peace. As she started the car and got it out of the car park, she couldn't help but notice that Rose's breath had become steady and calm. Clara smirked to herself. _Always the one who can fall asleep anywhere_.

As she made her way towards the apartment, Clara had all the time to think about today's events while Rose was taking a well deserved nap. This morning she woke with the most horrible of headaches and a wish to be able to duct tape Rose's mouth shut through the phone, only for it to end with said Rose peacefully sleeping next to her and taping her mouth the last thing on Clara's mind.

And then there was _the Doctor_.

The same Doctor she'd idolised for years and years and had made out of him this unhuman, godly creature who didn't eat or sleep or need special pillows for his back pains. Now he was this famous doctor who everyone loved and talked of with such respect that you'd think he was invincible and the next he's this man with curly, grey hair who loves to jest and is very insecure about his age, for some reason. _And who is not used to people being affectionate to him._ Clara thought. She shook her head. _The poor lad. Who doesn't like hugs?_ But then Clara realised that she had _actually_ hugged _the_ Doctor. He cheeks flushed red with embarrassment at the thought. Why had she done that? She had been grateful for his words and for his kindness but she hadn't thought of hugging him to show her appreciation. It just…happened. Clara didn't feel bad about doing it, she just hoped he didn't think her some floozy. The more she thought about it, the more she needed to tell someone and John was hours away from coming home. Before she realised she was doing it, she was rocking Rose awake.

"W-What? Are we there already? Sorry, Clara. Fell asleep." Rose said, trying to shake away her sleepiness.

Clara fidgeted nervously, biting her lip to keep from smiling. Under all that embarrassment, the fangirl in her was screaming with delight. She _hugged_ the Doctor!

"Rose, oh my God! I hugged the Doctor!" Clara blurted out, quickly looking at her friend smiling before turning her head towards the road again.

It took a couple of seconds for that to register in Rose's sleep fogged brain before she could reply. "You hugged _the Doctor?!_ " She shrieked, not sure how to feel about it. Clara, however, knew exactly how she felt.

"I did! I hugged the Doctor, Rose!"

And she hoped she could do it again.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Today is exactly a week since my last update and this is a whopping 6,6k words! I'm impressed with myself, to be honest, haha. It's currently 3:50 am for me and I'm still at my school's main building on one of their PCs and I'm pretty sure the body guard is thinking that I'm writing this really big and important essay LOL. Meanwhile, the true story is that I've been writing since 10 pm until now HAHAHA . Oh man, I'm so tired and I'm literally so scared of going home right now. Thankfully, I live a minute and a half away. I wrote all of this in one sitting so I didn't check it at all before publishing. If you see any mistakes, please ignore them until morning, when I'll wake up and be able to function properly to actually proof read.**

 **Thank you guys for reading, as always! Reviews are not mandatory but they help me stay motivated soooo much! Really, knowing you guys are enjoying this is amazing and there's nothing better than knowing that. Reviews and favourites and follows matter, really!**

 **Good night and see you soon! *heart emoji here***

 **Update: I fixed the typos and made a few changes regarding the living arrangements after Ellie's death. A year and a half just wasn't working with Uni. Idk what I was thinking? Anyway, it's all good now!**


	6. Doctors and Patients

"Good morning, Dr. Oswald."

"Morning, Suzie." Clara replied the dark haired nurse behind the desk. "How are you feeling today? You and the little guy doing okay?" she asked, bending over the counter and smiling warmly.

"Been kicking me black and blue since last night." Suzie laughed and touched her swollen stomach lovingly. "Can't say I'm very rested today." She told Clara truthfully, looking over some papers then handing them to her. "Here's today's patient's files. Billy Samray's mum said they might not make it but will let us know. Dallas Audrey will be coming for her check-up. They got the results from the blood tests." Suzie told Clara lightly and with a tired smile.

Clara took the papers from her outstretched hand and looked at her nurse worriedly. Tucking the paper under her arm, she tiptoed on her heels so she could see Suzie better. "Have you thought about what I told you, Suzie?"

The brunette looked away and busied herself with other insignificant tasks. "I did, Dr. Oswald. But I don't think I'm going on maternity leave soon. Me and Ronald need the money."

"Suzie. I _told_ you that I'd pay you fully during maternity leave." Clara replied sharply but not unkindly. "You're a great nurse and receptionist, but bless my stars, I don't want you to exhaust yourself. It's not good for the baby either."

Suzie looked up at Clara and gave her a weak smile and small shake of her head. "Thank you for your kind words, Dr. Oswald. But I'm fine, really! I just missed a bit of sleep last night. Promise I'll go to sleep early tonight and if I still look tired tomorrow, you can force me to go on maternity leave."

Clara laughed and tapped her pencil on the counter. "Fair enough. I'll be sure to give you and the little guy a check-up as well. "

Suzie nodded and gave Clara another smile. "That would be great, Dr. Oswald."

"So when's my first patient supposed to be coming in?" Clara asked, looking over the papers. Most of them were children coming for check-ups after having their regular blood tests done or having flu symptoms. The last file was Lorraine Jacks'. She was Clara's first child to get registered to her and one of her more complicated cases.

"That would be Thomas Murray, 9 a.m." Suzie informed her, typing away at the computer.

"Alright." Clara replied absent minded. "I haven't seen Lorraine in a while. Is she coming in for a regular check-up or…?" Clara raised an eyebrow at Suzie and the woman sighed in response.

"No. Her mum told me she fell while playing. She kept insisting it wasn't a bad fall at all but Lorraine has a horrible bruise on her leg… and that she had a nosebleed right after."

Clara gave a desperate grunt and rested her forehead on her fingers, massaging her temples gently. "And what else did she say?"

"That they've run out of anaemia medicine and will need another prescription."

"I swear, that woman is more daft than anyone I've ever met." Clara said, looking at Suzie with a hopeless feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Suzie looked back at her with the same worried look. "I know. Hopefully you can make her see sense soon."

"Hopefully." Clara said, almost a whisper. She blew a puff of air on her bangs to get them out of her face and went inside her office.

Placing her bag down, she shed her coat and muffler and exchanged them for a white coat from the wardrobe. She opened one of her drawers and looked down at the multiple types of candy that resided there. Giving them a once over, she decided on Jammie Dodgers, Haribo jellies and toffees. She poured the candy into two different jars on her desk and put back the bags with the remaining contents. Clara looked at the clock: 8:53. She plopped down on her chair and studied the files once more. She was studying a four year old's file when Louis, her other nurse, opened the door.

"Morning, ma'am." He said brightly.

"Good morning, Louis." Clara replied back. "Nice to see you're in high spirits!" Commented Clara with a small smirk.

Louis blushed and turned to look at the cupboard behind her. "I'm just a morning person, ma'am. Thomas Murray is here with his father. Shall I let them in?"

"Oh yeah, definitely."

Through the door came a boy with messy blond hair, short for his age and on the plump side. Right after him came his father, a tall, athletic guy with a friendly disposition. Weren't it for the eyes, the two of them wouldn't have passed for father and son.

"Hello, Dr. Oswald." Thomas greeted shyly.

Clara got up from her seat and went over to ruffle his hair. "Hey, Tom. How're you feeling today?"

Thomas shifted his legs nervously and looked at his dad, waiting for him to talk for him. He gave his son a small smile and put his hand on his back. "He hasn't been feeling very well. Runny nose, coughing and a bit of a fever. I'd have brought him in earlier, but he insisted he's fine and that he didn't want to miss any lesson." Mr. Murray informed Clara.

"I see." She nodded seriously. "Come on, Tom. Let's take a sit on the bed and we'll get to the bottom of it, what do you say?" Thomas nodded without saying anything and sat on the bed, his feet dangling a short distance from the ground, while his father took a seat in the chair across from the bed.

"Can you say 'Aaaah' for me? Promise won't take long." Clara told Thomas. He opened his mouth widely and Clara checked it for a few seconds. "Your tonsils are a bit inflamed. Have you been eating ice cream?" She asked him raising an eyebrow.

"I haven't, Dr. Oswald. It hurts when I eat anything, so I wouldn't eat ice cream even if I wanted to."

"Hmm, really? Does it hurt if I press here?" Clara asked him, pressing down gently on his throat, right under both sides of his jaw. Thomas nodded his head. Pulling her stethoscope out, she asked him to pull his shirt up for a bit. "It's going to be a tiiiny bit cold at the beginning, so sorry about that, pal." Thomas flinched when she touched him the first time on his back. "Alright, buddy. Inhale deeply for me. Good, good. Again, please. Another time and you're free."

After finishing, she pulled down his shirt and checked his temperature. She looked at the results and caressed Thomas' hair gently, turning to his father.

"His tonsils are infected again." She informed his dad.

"It's the fourth time this year." Mr. Murray rubbed his hands together.

"That's alright, don't worry. We could continue with the antibiotics, if you'd rather. But I recommend getting them out. Tonsillitis can get worse with each occurrence. Most kids get theirs out."

Mr. Murray laughed and dragged a hand through his hair. "I know. I had to have that surgery too. I was just worried it might be something worse."

"As far as I can see, Tom's doing great except for a cold and infected tonsils. Nothing warm tea and time off school can't cure." She replied, turning to give Thomas a small smile.

"But I don't want to miss school." Thomas intervened. "It's hard to keep up if I don't have the teacher to explain."

"You can do school work at home as well. You're going to get better in a week and then you'll be able to go back." She told him and he nodded.

Clara turned back to his dad. "He has a fever right now, so bed rest is required. Do you want me to point you to a surgeon for the tonsils?"

"Yeah, that would be great. Thank you."

Clara wrote them a prescription for children's cold medicine, a note for a surgeon over at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and saw them off at the door, but not before letting Thomas have some candy from the jars. "To eat when your throat gets better." She told him.

Clara's day had gone mainly in the same way with the exception of Lorraine's mother being a pain in the ass, as always. She kept insisting that her daughter only had anaemia and the only drugs she needed were vitamins. She had to bite her tongue several times, mindful of the skinny child before them. Clara highly suspected that Lorraine had chronic leukemia, but not matter how many times she'd told Mrs. Jacks, her pleas fell on deaf ears. She didn't know what was with that woman and her denial but they had already been taking chances this last year, not treating her daughter properly. Clara set them off with a prescription for vitamins and a note for blood tests. She had to practically beg the woman to get her child to take them. _"Lorry is absolutely terrified of needles. I don't promise she'll be able to have them done."_ Mrs. Jacks told Clara when leaving and Clara had to hold back from calling her a daft fifteen year old who shouldn't have had children.

It was three in the afternoon when she heard a knock. She turned her chair around to face the door. "Come in." She said.

The door cracked open but nobody came in at first. Perplexed, Clara rose from her seat. "I said you can come in." She repeated when a head suddenly poked out from the door.

"Hello there!"

"John!" Clara exclaimed and John gave her a huge grin before stepping fully into the room.

"And me!" said another voice, accompanied by a flash of gold and yet another big smile.

Clara laughed and went over to them. "Rose, John, what are you doing here?" She hugged her briefly and gave John a peck on his lips.

"We brought lunch!" He replied, holding up two plastic bags. "Rose decided she wanted to have lunch with both of us."

Clara gave a small chuckle and a roll of her eyes. "And we all know when Rose wants something…"

"Rose will have it. Yeah, baby! Don't you two forget that." Rose finished for her, tongue between her lips and winking in their directions.

John put the bags on the desk and Clara and Rose moved two chairs closer. Rose had made muffins for desert, sandwiches and fish fingers – for John, obviously. She also bought juice and apples – _"Ugh. But I_ hate _apples, Rose.!" "Shut up, John."._

"What about the hospital, John?" Clara asked, mid-bite into a sandwich.

"The Doctor will page me I'm needed, don't worry." He replied, stuffing his face with another fish finger. "Wish we had brought custard."

Rose threw Clara a glance and smirked at her. Clara ducked her head so John couldn't see her lips twitching into a smile. She hadn't mentioned the hug to John yet, but Rose hadn't heard the end of it. It wasn't that she was afraid John would go in a jealous rage – because John just wasn't type – or because she thought she had done something wrong, she just forgot about it whenever he was around.

"Speaking of the Doctor…" Rose started and her tone made Clara look up at her sharply.

"What about him?" John asked, noticing her playful attitude. It got him intrigued.

She didn't say anything, just licked her lips, looking from Clara to John and back. "It's actually a funny story… isn't it, Clara?" she finally said, throwing herself back in the chair and getting another bit from her sandwich.

John turned his head to Clara, raising his eyebrows curiously. Clara couldn't help but laugh. She put her sandwich down and leaned her body towards her fiancé.

"I hugged the Doctor." She said, her voice edging on excitement.

John looked confused for a moment, then his face had gone through surprise, horror and finally merriment. "Did you now! How did that even end well?"

Clara was secretly relieved that John hadn't gotten angry about it. "I didn't say it also went well!" She told him on a laugh. "He was as stiff as a broomstick. Didn't even hug back!"

John gave her a sympathetic pat on her knee. "It's okay, Clara. If he doesn't hug _me_ back, why would he hug _you_ back?" John told her. "I mean, I'm obviously better looking and… I'm wearing a bow tie." He said and straightened his brown bow tie smugly.

Rose slapped his shoulder and told him reproachfully yet smiling. "Oi! Be nice to your fiancé, you twat!"

"Ow! Sheesh. It's always the _mothers_." John said, rubbing his shoulder and giving Rose a hurt look.

"You big baby!" Clara told him, going back to eating her sandwich. "I'm very huggable, thank you very much. Better than having your gangly limbs around their body."

"You know you love them, Clara"

"Stop right there, kids! I'm not ready to hear the sexual innuendoes about your sex life just yet. Give me another week." Rose told them.

The door opened and Louis entered the office. He looked positively distressed "Ma'am, sorry to bother you while you're having lunch…" Louis said and briefly glanced at Rose and lingered a bit on John. "Mrs. Jacks is back with Lorraine. She said her daughter suddenly started feeling unwell. She looks terrified and asked to see you at once.

Clara ate the last of her sandwich and got up. She threw the napkin in the bin and went over to Louis. "We'll have to cut this short, guys. I'm sorry." She told the two of them with a shake of her head.

Rose and John stood up as well and Rose started packing everything, except for Clara's share, which she left on the desk. John went straight to Clara and gave her a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"Good luck." He told her.

"Thank you, John." She gave him a quick nod of her head and left, leaving them to see themselves out.

* * *

"Dr. Smith?"

John turned his head from the clipboard in his hands towards the voice. "Yes? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, sir." The male nurse told him. John could see him move his hands awkwardly behind him and the way he seemed to blink more often than usual. His name was Anthony, fresh out of school, and his first week having started to work at the hospital. Handsome lad, with deep green eyes and jet black hair but a bit on the anxious side.

John put the clipboard away and walked to him cheerfully. "Well, there must be something going on if you wanted to see me, Anthony." John told him and clasped both his hands on the guy's shoulders, making him jump in surprise.

"Relax, Anthony. I don't bite!" He told him, getting his arms off his shoulders and clasping them together. "Well, Clara would have something to say about that…" He muttered under his breath, looking away for a second.

Anthony exhaled a breath he seemed to have been holding for a while. "I was just coming to let you know that it's time for your visits to the patients."

John looked at the time and frowned. "Yes, it seems to be that time already." He looked back at the man in front of him. "I don't know where the time went!"

"I have a list of-" Anthony said but John cut him short.

"Don't worry, Anthony. I know who I need to go see." He gave him a good natured pat on his back and existed the room. "Come on, now. We don't want to be even later, do we?"

"N-No. If course not, Dr. Smith." Anthony said and followed him.

"I told you to cut it out and just call me John, Anthony! We're all friends here, aren't we?" John said and gave him a smile over his shoulder.

Anthony got flustered and tightened his grip on the papers. " Ye-yes. You're right." Dr. Smith always managed to make him even more anxious than he already was, even if he was the most laid back of the doctors in their department. Anthony thought it must be nice to feel completely at ease with your surroundings. Then again, he'd been working there for a while and he _was_ an excellent doctor. So why wouldn't he feel at ease?

Their first stop was an old lady whose name was Olenna Tyrell but liked to be called _Lady_ Olenna. However, amongst most nurses and a few doctors she was called the Queen of Thorns because she had quite a tongue on her. John liked to think she was just _witty_ and quite _marvellously sarcastic_.

"Lady Olenna, hello! How are you feeling today?" He asked her, plopping on her bed.

"Well if it isn't the doctor." She told him with a poker face.

"Well, not _the_ Doctor. More like your doctor, Lady Olenna." He told her, giving her a smile.

"Oh, spare me, young man. A doctor, the doctor, my doctor. You're still all daft." She replied, inclining her chin upwards a bit. John thought she looked quite elegant, the fiery old woman.

"You wound me, Lady Olenna." He put a depressed face on. "I thought I did a good job on getting rid of your horrid headaches."

Lady Olenna briefly touched her temples before lowering her hand back in her lap. "I suppose you did. I have to admit you're not _completely_ daft, you buffoon." Her words were sharp but a very small smile curved her lips.

John beamed at the sight of it and dared scoot closer to her on the bed. "So I get you're feeling better today? No more drowsiness? I'm sorry I couldn't make it yesterday to check on you, but the nurses tell me you've still got that astounding spit fire."

She scoffed and threw Anthony a glance over his shoulder. "Those giggling, simple nurses wouldn't know a spit fire if it exploded in their faces." She told him. "But no. I'm not drowsy anymore and my headaches are completely gone."

"Any problems with your memory? Control over your limbs?"

"I may be old, but I'm still the master of this body, doctor." She told him pointedly.

"Of course, of course! And you're managing excellently. I just wanted to make sure." John told her gently and smoothed her boney hands out.

Lady Olenna stared at him, her eyes softening the littlest bit. "Is it going to come back? I expect nothing short of the truth." She asked him.

John didn't stop caressing her hand but his smile had faltered. "There is a 60% chance of it coming back, I'm afraid." He told her and she sighed, turning her head to the window.

John felt compelled to grab both of her hands tightly into his. She turned back to him. "It might never do, Lady Olenna. But if it does, I'll be right here, waiting to sort that nasty tumour out again. And again. Until you decide you've had enough of my stupid face, alright?" He told her as earnestly as he could.

She gave him the biggest smile she had ever given him – which wasn't that big, mind you – and squeezed his hands weakly back. "As ridiculous as you can be, strutting around like a big oaf – and even if your chin might poke me in the eye if you come any closer – I'm afraid I won't tire of your daft face any time soon. Unfortunately for you." She said and patted his hand twice before letting go.

"Grandmother!" A feminine voice called out and before they knew what was happening, a beautiful young woman sat on the other side of Lady Olenna's bed.

"Margaery, child, what are you doing here?" Lady Olenna asked her granddaughter, secretly pleased at the unexpected visit. "Weren't you in your honeymoon the last time I checked? You better not have wasted my carefully planned and _expensive_ marriage gift."

Margaery laughed, her thick hair falling in soft waves over her cleavage. John didn't mean to look, he really didn't. Her cleavage was just _there_. He looked back to her face, unperturbed, his thoughts slowly straying to an image of Clara on her back, in their bed, completely naked from waist up. _Oh boy._

"Of course not, grandmother. The plane landed three hours ago. I would've been here sooner but the traffic was horrible." She said. "Nevermind that. How are you feeling? You have no idea how scared I was when Loras called and told me you were in surgery! I didn't even know you had – I'm really cross with you." Margaery told her in an angry voice, her eyebrows meeting into a frown.

"You can't be cross with me child, I'm your grandmother. Stop the nonsense." She told her granddaughter simply.

John interrupted their conversation before Margaery could talk again. "I assure you, your grandmother is recovering wonderfully."

Margaery looked at him as if that was the first time she'd notice him there – and maybe it really was. "And who might you be?" She asked.

"My name's John Smith. I was the one who performed the surgery on your grandmother. I'm the second in charge of the Neurosurgery Department."

Hearing that, her features relaxed, making her seem even lovelier than before. Her slightly wide face and funny nose reminded him of Clara. How he missed her. John couldn't wait to get off work – no matter how much he loved it – and get back home in his fiancé's arms.

"Nice to meet you, Dr. Smith. I'm Margaery Tyrell." She gave him a bright smile and extended her hand to him. To her surprise, instead of shaking it, John kissed her hand and smiled back.

"It's nice to meet you, too." He told her.

Margaery laughed and her grandmother scoffed. "Oh stop that. You look even more silly acting like a gentleman. Margaery, he's a buffoon."

"Oh, grandmother. You think everyone is either a buffoon or an oaf." Margaery told her then turned back to the doctor. "My brother told me the surgery went impeccably. Thank you." She told him.

John still got flustered whenever someone thanked him for having a successful surgery. That was his job in the end, wasn't it? To save people. A doctor saves people and he made a promise to himself long ago that he would do exactly that.

"You have nothing to thank me for, Mrs. Tyrell. Your grandmother hasn't shown any bad signs, such as memory loss or not having control over her limbs, which is good. I suspect she'll be able to come home in a day or two." He told both of them and got off the bed.

Anthony, who had been silent all the way through the visit, finally spoke up. "Dr. Smith, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we need to go…"

John looked at him and said. "I suppose you're right, Anthony!" he turned back to the women. "Lady Olenna, I'll be back to pester you with more questions tomorrow."

"God forbid." Lady Olenna shook her head but John could swear he saw a hint of a smile.

"Have a nice day, Mrs. Tyrell." He told the younger woman.

"You too, Dr. Smith."

They turned and left. John checked on all of his patients, taking more time than needed with each of them, making sure they weren't showing evident signs of post-surgery trauma. Or if they needed to have one, he made sure to explain them how everything would go. He found that most people always felt better after he explained what would happen during it. He was more than happy to be the one to prepare them. Talking to children was different, though. It had always made him both happy and sad. Children were containers full of joy and wonder who loved nothing more than to listen to him – not about their surgery, but rather stories he made up on the top of his head or give them trivia about loads of subjects. What saddened him was that these young souls had to go through hardships from such a fragile age. Sometimes they were so young, John felt the need to always be there before and after surgery. He went to see as many as possible in their lunch times and went out of his way to check on the ones that didn't receive a lot of visits. The other doctors told him that he doesn't have to do that, that his job doesn't stop at the surgery but he doesn't need to exhaust himself like that. Of course, he listened politely but still did as he wished. He smiled at the fact that he had Clara to support him with his antics and really, he didn't need anyone else.

After the visits, he had scheduled a surgery. It was a 30 year old man with a benign tumour. It all seemed promising and John was confident that the surgery would go well and the man will have a quick recovery. Of course, complications can always arise, but John liked to think that positivity helped the outcome be a good one.

After the surgery, he made sure the patient was stable and let his family inside before taking his leave. He washed up, changed his coat and went towards the lounge. He really needed a cup of tea. When he got there, Anthony and the Doctor were having a conversation while another colleague of theirs was cat napping in one of the beds. Looking at the window, he finally realised just how dark it had gotten. The clock on the wall showed 7:27 p.m.

"John, come join us. I was just about to make some tea. Would you like a cup?" The Doctor asked, calling him over.

John went and fell into a chair heavily. "That would be great, thanks. I really need one."

"Tiring day, sir?" Anthony asked him.

"When is it not tiring, Anthony? Nurse, doctor, janitor, receptionist…It's all hard work in here. Well, except maybe me. I'm always well rested!" the Doctor replied.

Both of them laughed and John was pleased to see Anthony more relaxed than the last time he saw him.

"How we wish we were as youthful as you, Doctor! You must tell us your secrets. Is it a youth fountain you have invented this time? Because I'd like to keep my face just as it is." Anthony joked.

John chuckled. "The lad's right. I'd like to look the same forever. I think Clara might like that."

"Maybe lose some of the chin… I'm afraid you'll have to see a plastic surgeon for that, John." Said the Doctor, turning back to the tea.

John sank even further in his chair and dropped his head in his palms. "Why does it always come back to my chin! It's not that big, for goodness sake."

"Weeelll, I'd beg to differ, John." A voice joined them. When they looked towards it, they were all surprised to see David – Tennant – already sitting at the table on a chair.

"Bloody hell, mate. How did you do that? Didn't hear the smallest of sound." John exclaimed.

David held up his leg and wiggled his foot in front of them. "Chuck Taylors, baby! Loving my new pair. Silent as…well, _silence_! You can't get more silent than that."

"What are you doing over here? I thought you were going to see Martha this week." Said the Doctor, while taking an extra cup out of the cupboard.

"I ended up not going." He said at once.

"I don't think I like your tone, David. What's up?" asked John

Anthony, feeling as if he shouldn't intrude on their conversation, excused himself out for a while. David looked at him go, but never turned his attention back to the other two. The Doctor handed out tea to the both of them and stared a hole through David.

"Stop looking at me like that, Doctor!" he said.

"I don't know what you're talking about, David."

"He might be talking about the holes you're boring through him. You know, the uncomfortable staring you do – which can be intimidating." John answered for him.

David looked at his friends and threw his head back, sighing. "Martha broke up with me."

Both John and the Doctor inhaled sharply.

"She said I spend too much time working and too little time being a good boyfriend." He sat up and sipped the tea before leaning on the table. " Oh, she also said I'm an egotistical twat who never says I love you back, who is obsessed with stars – how could she say that?! – and who is too busy with discovering to actually enjoy what he _already discovered_!" He shouted, getting progressively angry. "I know I sound angry, but I really am not. I mean – I'm upset. We had been together for a year and she was nice, but I never felt that spark."

"I'm sorry it didn't work out, David. I liked Martha. Martha was nice. But I never thought she was right for you, if it makes you feel any better." John offered.

"You'll find someone with that _spark_ at some point, David. If not, you can join the old, single men club. There's always free spots available. " The Doctor said.

David laughed. "Nah, no thanks. I'm leaving my fate in the hands of the Universe, but not _entirely_."

"Fair enough." Said both John and the Doctor in unison.

"I want to go out. Guys' night out! What do you say?!" said David, grinning at them widely, apparently very excited at the idea.

" _Better yet_ , why don't you come have dinner at my house? I'm sure Clara would love to have you over!" said John. Of course, he didn't mention Rose on purpose, afraid he might let it slip that David was her obsession since childhood. He grinned to himself. Rose would love him forever _and_ beyond.

"I'd like to see Clara, yeah. Haven't seen her face in a while." Replied David, his grin still on. "Hopefully you meant dinner together with alcohol, John?"

"Oh boy. Drunk David will be fun to witness. It's been a while." The Doctor laughed and put his mug in the sink.

"Oh shut it! It's going to be fun! You're coming aren't you, Doctor?" said David.

"Of course. Wouldn't miss it for the world." He replied.

"Brilliant! How's this Saturday sound?" John asked them, getting up to put his own mug in the sink.

"As good as it gets!" David answered, following John to the sink and rinsing all of their cups.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Did you say 5k update in** _ **two days**_ **? Wow, I don't know what's happening except for the fact that I'm handling a really bad headache at the moment.**

 **This chapter is a little treat for you guys, but I wouldn't get used to updates every two days if I were you! Saves you the disappointment…**

 **Strikingtwelve said she'd like to see some of Clara or John's doctor-y skills in actions and I thought** _ **"Hey! I want to see that, too!"**_ **so I did. No emergencies going on – I was never a fun of those – but more of what I think being a doctor is about – caring about your patients and letting them know they're in good hands!**

 **I also want to address the fact that I've received a couple of private messages from two different people who hinted at the fact that they'd like to see more of John and Clara, rather than Clara and the Doctor. I know this fic has both ships in it (that's because I love both of them and I like writing them both), but at the end of the day, this ship is** _ **Whouffladi**_ **, and I want that to be clear.**

 **As for Whouffaldi, I'm sorry there wasn't any of it in this chapter. I'm hoping to make it back to you with the next one!**

 **See you guys next time!**

 **P. S. Yes, they are THOSE Olenna and Margaery Tyrell. You just witnessed me doing a mini AU crossover with Game of Thrones. *giggles***


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